UBports keeps the Ubuntu Touch legacy alive with version 24.04-1.0

No longer maintained by Canonical since 2017, Ubuntu Touch is still alive and kicking thanks to the German charitable foundation UBports. Started in 2011, this project is now based on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS thanks to the latest update, which is labeled 24.04-1.0. While most of the efforts put into this release have the purpose of ensuring flawless compatibility between existing system elements and the Ubuntu 24.04 LTS core, several new features are also present.

Without further ado, these are the highlights of Ubuntu Touch 24.04-1.0:

• New community-made logos, the first such change in eight years.
• Light shell mode, accessible via System Settings > Background & Appearance.
• Experimental support for on-device personal data encryption.
• A redesigned Phone app, with a layout conceived for larger screens.
• A new USB mode setting, with support for internet sharing.

In addition to the above, there are plenty of minor tweaks and fixes present. To get the update in place, existing Ubuntu Touch users need to upgrade to 20.04 OTA-10 first, and only after applying that patch will their devices be ready to receive 24.04-1.0.

The list of supported devices contains more than two dozen items, including the Fairphone 5, Rabbit R1 (currently $199 on Amazon), Sony Xperia X, OnePlus 6 and 6T, as well as several Xiaomi 9 handsets, including the Redmi 9 and 9 Prime alongside the Note 9 and Note 9 Pro.