3 Days with Ubuntu Touch on My Nexus 5

Ubuntu Touch on a Nexus 5 for 3 days.

I have been really following the development of the Ubuntu Touch mobile OS and I have been really wanting to use for myself, with the help of Multiboot, I have been able to use Ubuntu Touch on my Nexus 5. What follows are my impressions of the OS after 3 days of use as my daily driver.

First, and importantly, I would like to point out that I am using the OS on a device not officially support by Ubuntu and this article will not discuss how to install Ubuntu Touch on the Nexus 5. Now that, that is out of the way, on to the 3 days of Ubuntu Touch.

The first thing that I need to say about the Ubuntu Touch OS is that it is beautiful! The operating system looks absolutely gorgeous at every point, from the fonts to the organization of the apps and icons. Canonical is making an operating system that is eye catching and shows off not only the user's content but also all the great work of their designers. The design goals and guidelines that Ubuntu has set are a real testament when you get to see them executed in the OS. Ubuntu Touch feels new and it is very intuitive.

With all that said, now on to the actual user experience that I have been having while I test the Ubuntu Touch OS on the Nexus 5. As I stated earlier, the Nexus 5 is not a device officially supported by Canonical, so there are some issues I may

experience that other users may not. As I use the OS, I find that it is really easy to use and learn. I have already begun to swipe from the specific edges to get to where I need to go without having to hesitate and think about it first. I really like how that the idea of gestures and swiping to navigate just come natural to me. I find that I also really like to use the quick replies in the Message/Incoming area of the OS.Having the ability to get quick access to important system features is excellent and another thing that I have already gotten used to in Ubuntu Touch.

I do have issues that keep coming up like not being able to lock the orientation or how difficult it can be to dismiss the keyboard but to be honest, it is really hard to criticize the OS on these issues since it is not a complete build. Ubuntu Touch is updating everyday it seems like and each update has bug fixes. I will continue to use the OS and test it but I will not really criticize or rant about missing features until Ubuntu Touch is complete and ready for a truly final release.