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Meizu's Pro 5 Ubuntu Edition will be available for pre-order at MWC

If you fancy a sleek iPhone-ish looking smartphone running an operating system that's not Android or iOS, Chinese smartphone maker Meizu may have just the thing.

Aloysius Low Senior Editor
Aloysius Low is a Senior Editor at CNET covering mobile and Asia. Based in Singapore, he loves playing Dota 2 when he can spare the time and is also the owner-minion of two adorable cats.
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Aloysius Low
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Best known for its ability to make phones that look very much like Apple's iPhones, Chinese smartphone maker Meizu returns with yet another copycat in the form of the Meizu Pro 5 Ubuntu Edition. Unlike the Android-running Pro 5 though, this version is powered by the Ubuntu operating system.

Now, you may be asking, what's so great about Ubuntu? Can it run Android apps? Sadly, the answer to the latter question is no, but don't let that stop you.

Instead of apps downloaded to your phone, Ubuntu gives you a bunch of home screens called "scopes" that deliver the information you need on the screen without having the need to go inside an app. There's a bunch of different scopes, from what's near you to music and news. You swipe between each scope to navigate. You can also add apps and more scopes from the Ubuntu store.

Pre-orders open next week during Mobile World Congress and if you're hankering for a different experience to what's available today on Windows, Android and iOS devices, this could be just the ticket.

meizupro5ubuntu.jpg
Meizu/Canonical

Meizu says the phone lacks MHL output, which means you can't easily plug the phone into an external monitor such as a TV. But technically (if you can find a way to bypass the lack of hardware) you could use it as a PC, as the operating system powering the phone is similar to desktop Ubuntu and can offer a desktop experience.

Key details

  • Powerful performance from Samsung Exynos octa-core chip
  • iPhone-ish looks and metal body
  • Available for pre-order during Mobile World Congress for Europe and China
  • Pricing not yet announced
  • Fifth Ubuntu device in the last 12 months

Apart from the almost carbon-copy iPhone looks of the phone, Meizu's Pro 5 Ubuntu Edition has more than respectable hardware, which you can check out below. In the meantime, do stay tuned for our on the ground updates at Mobile World Congress 2016 in Barcelona -- including our hands-on impressions of this phone.

  • 5.7-inch AMOLED full-HD display
  • 157 by 78 by 7.5mm (6.17 by 3.07 by 0.39 inches), 168 grams (5.9 ounces)
  • 1.5GHz Samsung Exynos 7420 octa-core processor
  • 21-megapixel rear camera, 5-megapixel front
  • 3GB or 4GB RAM
  • 32GB or 64GB onboard storage with microSD card slot
  • 3,050mAh battery