Ubuntu Touch, the community-driven mobile version of Ubuntu, has made significant strides with its latest release, Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-3. Managed by UBPorts since Canonical shifted its focus away from the project, Ubuntu Touch has seen continual development, with the first stable release launched in June 2017. The latest update expands its support to include PinePhone, PinePhone Pro, PineTab, and PineTab 2, in addition to a range of other smartphones previously supported by Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-2.
Key Updates in Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-3
Expanded Device Support
The OTA-3 update marks a notable expansion in device compatibility, particularly for Pine64 devices. Previously, PinePhone and PineTab had their own branch, and the integration of these devices into the mainline release is a significant step forward. In addition to these, 24 other Android/Linux smartphones are now supported, with specific models like the Fairphone 4, Google Pixel 3a and 3a XL, and various Volla phones being recommended due to their active involvement in development or reliable maintenance track records.
Enhanced Features and Fixes
- Content-Hub API and Security Enhancements: The update brings a change to the Content-hub API along with crucial security fixes.
- Hfd-Service / Lomiri-System-Settings Update: This restores the ability to disable vibrations from notifications and applications, which had been an issue since the upgrade to Ubuntu 20.04 (Focal).
- Improved APN Database: The switch to the lineageos-apndb from mobile-broadband-provider-info enhances support for mobile data and MMS.
- Location Service Updates: Addition of the gpsd provider and new D-Bus property in the Lomiri shell improve location-service capabilities, especially on PinePhone mainline Linux devices.
- Keyboard Layout Enhancements: The lomiri-keyboard now includes added or improved layouts such as Avro, Bengali traditional, and Persian.
- System Settings Refinement: The security/privacy page(s) UI and menu structure have been reworked for better user experience.
- Snap Support: Preliminary support for Snap packages has been introduced, broadening the scope of available applications.
- QtMir and Waydroid Enhancements: These updates improve the display size calculation for Android apps and add support for content-hub based clipboard.
- Improved Memory Management: Measures have been implemented to prevent system component failures in low-memory situations.
- USB Tethering Support: usb-moded now supports CDC-{NCM,ECM}, expanding USB tethering capabilities.
- Performance Improvements on FP4 and P3a: Halium QSG enablement on these devices leads to significant performance gains during GPU texture uploads.
Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-3 demonstrates UBPorts’ commitment to evolving the Ubuntu Touch ecosystem, catering to a wider range of devices and enhancing user experience with improved features and functionalities.
