Many have been waiting eagerly for all the latest phone tech at CES, and Ubuntu Phone OS is one of the items I really look forward to. Shown at CES 2013 in Vegas today this video shows how Ubuntu Phone works hands on. Obviously this is still a prototype but it looks silky smooth already. Ubuntu Phone is aimed at emerging markets, so this high end smoothness could be achieved on a lower end phone.

The video shows navigating through picture galleries to be very intuitive, and excellently presented. Ubuntu desktop has always looked very modern and clean, and the phone version looks to build on this. For those that do not know, Ubuntu Phone OS is designed on the EXACT same system as the PC OS, meaning you can plug in a monitor, mouse and keyboard and you have a fully fledged PC. Add in a remote control and HDTV and you have a Smart TV media center, with all the available apps on your traditional PC. Ubuntu seem to be the first to combine all the features we see in Android , iOS and Windows phone but placing the inevitable merge of operating systems in one place.

It uses a launcher similar to Unity on the left. Some Ubuntu users really disliked Unity when it first arrived, but this looks very intuitive and smooth when used with touch.

The main rival for Ubuntu Phone could be Firefox OS, which again is aiming at emerging markets, specifically South America. Both OSs look very smooth and if they can get phone manufacturers onboard they could be an excellent way to get into the smartphone market. Not only that but current Ubuntu users may relish the chance to have all their current setup transferred over to a phone. Personally I think this will be a great Tablet OS.

Video Below