Canonical
on 20 August 2015
- The Aquaris E4.5 and Aquaris E5 Ubuntu Editions to be sold through Indian online marketplace, Snapdeal
- Marks the inaugural launch of Ubuntu phone in India following a successful rollout of the Aquaris E4.5 and Aquaris E5 Ubuntu Editions in Europe
- Phones will come preloaded with a number of scopes developed specifically for the Indian market
The Aquaris E4.5 and Aquaris E5 Ubuntu Edition handsets are set to launch in India through Snapdeal, India’s largest online marketplace. This follows on from two successful Aquaris Ubuntu Edition handsets launched in Europe earlier this year; the Aquaris E4.5 in February, and the Aquaris E5 in June. The devices will be available for purchase from Snapdeal by end of August at a price of Rs 11,999 for the Aquaris E4.5 and Rs 13,499 for the Aquaris E5.
There’s been palpable demand for Ubuntu Phones in India since the Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition was launched earlier this year. India has long been, and continues to be, a priority market for Ubuntu, having had a successful and established PC business in the region for many years.
The sleek, 8GB Aquaris E4.5 Ubuntu Edition features a five megapixel front camera and eight megapixel rear camera with autofocus, dual flash and full HD (1080p) for super sharp video. It boasts a MediaTek Quad Core Cortex A7 processor and 1GB RAM for a faster experience.
The Aquaris E5 Ubuntu Edition comes with a host of impressive features including a 5’’ display with IPS HD technology, HD screen resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels and 380 cd/m2 maximum brightness. The device features a five megapixel front camera and thirteen megapixel rear camera, equipped with high quality Largan lenses and BSI sensors. Both devices will be sold in black and come fully unlocked with dual SIM functionality so that users can select their operator of choice and can use SIMs from two different operators at the same time.
Both handsets being sold through Snapdeal in India come with all the same great Scopes available on the European Editions along with a new ones created especially with Indian users in mind. Some of the new Scopes on offer include Zomato, Star Plus, Zee TV, Eros Now, NDTV and Times of India.
“The success we have seen with the Aquaris E4.5 and E5 Ubuntu Editions in Europe has precipitated this follow-on launch with Snapdeal in India”, remarks German Lopez, COO of Spanish handset manufacturer BQ. “Snapdeal has proven to be an ideal launch partner given its fervent commitment to introducing exclusive and novel products to the Indian market, to ensure customers get a broad and differentiated choice’’.
Cristian Parrino, VP Mobile at Canonical states: ‘”Launching Ubuntu phones in India is a fantastic milestone as we strive to make Ubuntu phones available to enthusiasts and developers in as many markets as possible, during this first phase of our launch. I am thrilled that our partners BQ and Snapdeal have the drive and foresight to make this happen.”
Tony Navin, Senior Vice President, Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives, Snapdeal comments: “India is now globally one of the most attractive smartphone markets. Online, we are seeing an increasing demand for differentiated and versatile mobile devices that are feature rich at an affordable price and the Aquaris E4.5 and E5 with Ubuntu OS are great fits for the Indian market. We are very excited about our partnership with Ubuntu and look forward to successful relationship ahead”
The Aquaris E4.5 and Aquaris E5 Ubuntu Editions will be available for purchase by end of August from Snapdeal for Rs 11,999 for the Aquaris E4.5 and Rs 13,499 for the Aquaris E5.
About BQ
BQ is a leading European technology company. Its goal is to help people to understand technology, encourage them to use and inspire them to create it. It is committed to education in technology, DIY philosophy and the Open Source Initiative. BQ applies this philosophy to its products (smartphones, 3D printers, robotics and much more) and software solutions by working to make technology a tool for improving the world and the lives of its users.
About Snapdeal
Snapdeal’s vision is to create India’s most impactful digital commerce ecosystem that creates life-changing experiences for buyers and sellers. In February 2010, Kunal Bahl along with Rohit Bansal, started Snapdeal.com – India’s largest online marketplace, with the widest assortment of 15 million+ products across 500+ diverse categories from thousands of regional, national, and international brands and retailers. With millions of users and 150,000 sellers, Snapdeal is the shopping destination for internet users across the country, delivering to 5000+ cities and towns in India. In its journey till now, Snapdeal has partnered with several global marquee investors and individuals such as SoftBank, BlackRock, Temasek, eBay Inc., Premji Invest, Intel Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Mr. Ratan Tata, among others.
For further information, visit www.snapdeal.com
About Canonical
Canonical produces Ubuntu, the leading open-source platform for cloud, personal computing and next-generation devices. Ubuntu introduces a new mobile experience for phone users, a smarter ecosystem dynamic for developers, and unprecedented differentiation opportunities for carriers and device manufacturers. Ubuntu ships on millions of PCs annually, aimed at education, government and enterprise markets. Ubuntu also enables next-generation devices at the heart of the internet of things.
