14 DAY TRIAL // The UBports community has released this past weekend the second OTA (Over-the-Air) update to supported Ubuntu Phone devices, bringing support for some old devices that were requested by the community, as well as a set of new features.
First and foremost, UBports' Ubuntu Touch OTA-2 update introduces support for the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2013 (Wi-Fi only) devices. Therefore, you can now install the custom Ubuntu Touch port created by the UBports team on these devices, which Canonical previously supported for the original Ubuntu Touch mobile OS.
As for the new features, Ubuntu Touch OTA-2 brings a new toggle in the battery indicator that turns on or off a flashlight, adds support for generic CalDAV servers to the Calendar app, updates the boot spinner, implements the ability to switch the release channels via System Settings, as well as to add custom backgrounds to Scopes.
With OTA-2 installed, you'll also get revamped version of the OpenStore and you can view changelogs for stable OTA updates. Additionally, GPS, mobile data, and battery display issues were fixed for Nexus 5 devices, Aethercast/Miracast support was added to OnePlus One devices, along with better video playback.
Also for OnePlus One, the Camera app has been improved to be more reliable, and the autobrightness functionality received some patching too. Other than that, Ubuntu Touch OTA-2 brings improvements to GPS performance, camera permissions, web browser, and system translations.
"This is a huge release for the Ubuntu Touch platform, bringing new supported devices, new features, and many bug fixes. With this release, we are officially supporting the Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 2013 (Wi-Fi only). Users of these devices will find that they can install Ubuntu Touch 15.04 using the UBports installer," said the devs in the release notes.
Here's how to update your phone or table to Ubuntu Touch OTA-2
If you're using the UBports' Ubuntu Touch OTA-1 update on your devices, you can update to OTA-2 right now by going into System Settings and accessing the Updates section. On the other hand, those who want to install Ubuntu Touch OTA-2 on their devices need to download and use the official UBports installer.
UBports confirms that the Ubuntu Touch OTA-2 update is currently supported on the Nexus 4, Nexus 5, Nexus 7 2013 (Wi-Fi only), OnePlus One, and Fairphone 2. Unfortunately, there's no word if other devices that are running Canonical's version of Ubuntu Touch will be supported in a future updater or not.