The first Ubuntu-powered tablet hopes to work double duty as your next desktop PC. The BQ Aquaris M10 runs on the open-source operating system that's beloved by some tinkerers, and can be plugged in to a monitor via the HDMI port. Add a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and voila! The interface even tweaks itself, making full-screen apps into windows that can be resized and moved around manually.
When in tablet mode, those full-screen apps can be used side by side, thanks to the operating system's Side Stage feature. The biggest problem for the platform, however, is the lack of apps. The company claims there are hundreds in the Ubuntu App Store, which pales in comparison to the more than 1 million in Google Play and App Store, each.
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The Aquaris M10 features a 10.1-inch FHD touchscreen in a basic black slate design that measures 9.7 x 6.7 x 0.3 inches and weighs 1 pound. By comparison the 9.7-inch iPad Air 2 measures 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.24 inches and weights 0.96 pounds. But the iPad doesn't have space for a microHDMI slot. Front-facing speakers are intriguing, and we're curious to see how well the 12-megapixel camera works.
Under the hood, you'll find a 1.5-GHz quad-core MediaTek MT8163A CPU with 2GB of RAM. It features 16GB of storage space, and sports a 7280mAh battery. The Lenovo Yoga Tablet 10 HD+, which lasted an epic 13 hours and 1 minute on our Laptop Mag Battery Test, features a 9000-mAh battery.
The company hasn't announced how much the tablet will cost, but it is expected to go on sale in Q2 2016. For now, you can sign up for notifications from Ubuntu. Hopefully we'll ge more details at Mobile World Congress 2016, so stay tuned for details. The tablet joins the Aquaris E4.5 and E5 HD smartphones, also made by the Spanish-based BQ.
