When Canonical first published the Ubuntu phone announcement, I was skeptical about how successful it could become. Making matters more complicated, I found out that the target for this mobile Ubuntu release wasn’t necessarily geeks only. It turns out that the Ubuntu phone project is designed to appeal to new users of smartphones as well as existing smartphone enthusiasts.
In my opinion, this is spreading the Ubuntu phone project too thin. Pitting the Ubuntu phone against Android and iOS is a foolish decision—not because the other mobile OSes are superior, but rather because of the challenges the Ubuntu phone faces to become relevant within non-geek circles.
So what are the challenges that Ubuntu must overcome?