As promised, the Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview for smartphones and tablets is now available for download. The Developer Preview is the precursor to the full launch, pencilled in for early next year, and is likely to be unstable at times. We previewed the phone UI last month, and more recently had a look at the tablet UI running on a Nexus 10 tablet.

The preview has been compiled for a number of recent Google devices, but it's extremely important that you double- and triple-check to ensure you have a compatible version. There are binaries for the Galaxy Nexus (GSM 'maguro" variants only), Nexus 4 "mako," Nexus 7 "grouper," and Nexus 10 "manta." Notably missing from the list are the Verizon Galaxy Nexus "toro," the Sprint Galaxy Nexus "toroplus." There is a binary for a "phablet," but we've been unable to confirm what device that will run on.

No support for Verizon or Sprint Galaxy Nexus

It's worth noting that this release is intended for developers only — don't expect to have a fully-functional device after installing this early OS. Many of the "applications" that come pre-installed are little more than screenshots, although the Phone, Browser, Media Player, Gallery, and Camera apps are functional, along with Ubuntu's built-in speech and voice searching tool. If you're still interested, you can head on over to the Ubuntu wiki for full instructions on how to install the Touch Developer Preview on your device.