The Real State of Linux Phones

Linux phones — usable with a huge asterisk

Linux phones differ fundamentally from Android, which despite running a Linux kernel uses a distinct user space and development model that sets it apart. True Linux phones instead carry over the desktop experience: a usable terminal, touch-adapted interfaces inspired by desktop environments, Wayland-based rendering, and predominantly open-source apps, making them general-purpose Linux systems rather than Android with a Linux core hidden underneath.

The article traces the lineage of these devices back to Canonical's Ubuntu Touch project, which folded after an unsuccessful Kickstarter but lives on as the community-run UBports. A parallel effort, Nokia, Intel, and the Linux Foundation's MeeGo, also failed commercially but seeded Jolla's Sailfish OS, which still serves a small, dedicated user base today.