Ubuntu Phone:
I might probably wait for the next release If I'm going with this one. Other the high spec, multi tasking, camera, what else does Ubuntu have that makes it different?

Ubuntu phones (and tablets) offer what no other device does: convergence. That is, you can add a keyboard, mouse, and external monitor and you have a laptop. You can develop natively right on the device with a full desktop environment, then pick it up and go and catch up on email and messages while you travel.

Windows Phone has had this for a bit now, I believe they beat Ubuntu to market with it.https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17280/windows-10-mobile-continuumhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/3065895/windows/windows-continuum-how-i-survived-a-week-using-a-windows-10-phone-as-my-pc.html

Nope, the Ubuntu phones started shipping before Microsoft even revealed their Continuum plans.

Nevertheless, they're not comparable, because the Microsoft phones are still not a full desktop, they only run a very limited set of applications. I can run The GIMP, LibreOffice, Firefox, and Unity-3D on my Ubuntu phone just like on my desktop, and they run just fine. In fact, I can install *anything* that runs on Ubuntu on my desktop or phone if the developers have bothered building for ARM not just x86 (Steam, I'm looking at you).

Sure you can install it. What percentage of desktop apps have usability issues on the phone though until you plug in a keyboard and mouse?

Generally a phone and pc ux and expectations are different.

Also how does running desktop apps affect battery life, does it go from several days to several hours very quickly and more into laptop territory?

Sure you can install it. What percentage of desktop apps have usability issues on the phone though until you plug in a keyboard and mouse?

Generally a phone and pc ux and expectations are different.

Also how does running desktop apps affect battery life, does it go from several days to several hours very quickly and more into laptop territory?

Yes, there are two different approaches here. Ubuntu says "users can have the choice, they can install their old apps and use them when they have a mouse and keyboard" and Windows says "users can't always use apps without a mouse and keyboard, so they can never use them and need to buy all new shinies."

Sure, expectations are different. Ubuntu expects you to do what you want with your device. Windows expects you to not do what they don't want with your device. At least you have the choice of alternatives, this isn't the bad-old monopoly days of the early 21st century.

And it's true old legacy apps can drain your better pretty fast. If you want to use old keyboard-based stuff, you're usually docked with a keyboard and mouse and it's not a problem to plug in a power cable as well. We (at Ubuntu) also added a prompt to shut down you old legacy apps when you undock because not only will they drain battery, but you can't even interact with them in mobile mode for the most part.

Sure you can install it. What percentage of desktop apps have usability issues on the phone though until you plug in a keyboard and mouse?
Generally a phone and pc ux and expectations are different.
Also how does running desktop apps affect battery life, does it go from several days to several hours very quickly and more into laptop territory?

Yes, there are two different approaches here. Ubuntu says "users can have the choice, they can install their old apps and use them when they have a mouse and keyboard" and Windows says "users can't always use apps without a mouse and keyboard, so they can never use them and need to buy all new shinies."
Sure, expectations are different. Ubuntu expects you to do what you want with your device. Windows expects you to not do what they don't want with your device. At least you have the choice of alternatives, this isn't the bad-old monopoly days of the early 21st century.
And it's true old legacy apps can drain your better pretty fast. If you want to use old keyboard-based stuff, you're usually docked with a keyboard and mouse and it's not a problem to plug in a power cable as well. We (at Ubuntu) also added a prompt to shut down you old legacy apps when you undock because not only will they drain battery, but you can't even interact with them in mobile mode for the most part.

This actually sounds very well thought out. It's a shame I haven't heard of any Ubuntu based devices here in the UK yet (perhaps I don't follow the mobile phone industry enough).

I know someone who used to work for Nokia back when they were trying to create a Linux based phone OS with the same goals. Unfortunately they made a deal with Microsoft to bundle windows phone 7 on all their smart phones and that basically bought an end to the whole Linux phone thing for them.

Hopefully because it's a distro producing the phone OS, it's not going to repeat history and go the same route...