Chinese smartphone brand Meizu, which not too long ago grabbed eyeballs of technology enthusiasts across the world by announcing its decision to convert its high-end smartphone, the MX4 to open-source, is now in the news again.

This time it is because the China-based company's first Canonical Ubuntu-powered smartphone, the M1 Note running the Ubuntu Flyme operating platform is pegged for official launch during the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2015) in Las Vegas.

According to a new report, that quotes a microblog post of Meizu's senior manager Zhang Heng, two release probabilities viz the CES 2015 and the Mobile World Congress (MWC, scheduled for February 2015) are outlined for the Ubuntu-powered Meizu M1 Note.

Also, a conventional/non-Ubuntu variant of Meizu M1 Note has already hit markets in China where the handset is available for purchase at $322 (1,999 yuan, £210).

Currently, the technical aspects of Meizu's Ubuntu powered M1 Note have not surfaced, but these aspects should be identical to the already existing Flyme 4.0 OS driven M1 Note.

Key technical specifications of the Meizu M1 Note:

5.5in full HD display

Meizu Flyme 4.0 operating system

1.7GHz quad-core Mediatek MT6752 processor

Dual SIM-card support

13 MP primary camera

5MP secondary camera

2 GB RAM

16/32 GB fixed internal storage

4G-LTE, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and microUSB connectivity

Non-removable 3,140 mAh Li-Ion battery

Ubuntu-powered Meizu M1 Note, once official, should do well to attract eyeballs considering the fact that the smartphone incorporates high-end technical specifications as listed above.

The smartphone's affordability factor should also prove to be a hit among potential buyers, especially among those who are looking at buying high-end devices without having to part with a month's income.

Also, the Ubuntu-driven Meizu MX1 is said to run the Ubuntu Touch that is expected to be implemented on top of the Meizu Flyme operating platform.

Ubuntu Touch brings across a uniform kernel and base application set, both of which yield a cross-application platform.

The cross-platform support promises a uniform user experience on both large-screen desktop devices as well as smaller display-clad mobile devices.

So, in theory, Ubuntu Touch should allow for apps to run on larger screens, after being launched from a future smartphone (likely Meizu's Ubuntu-powered handsets).

Once official, the above aspect should add a touch of greater functionality to Meizu's M1 Note, in comparison to conventional Android and iOS devices.