Hello, I have searched the net for an answer but I cant get a clear answer.
Does Ubuntu Edge have regular microUSB connection like every other phone (execpt iPhone) for charging and so on?
There is a lot of talk about the 11-pin connector with MHL and USB-OTG but that doesn't tell if its a regular microUSB to me.
For me its a deal-breaker if I can charge the phone with microUSB.

Standard Micro-USB-to-HDMI adapter (five-pin)
The first implementations use the most popular mobile connection (micro USB) and the most popular TV connection (HDMI). Other than the physical connectors, USB and HDMI technology are not being used. It is exclusively MHL signaling through the connectors and over the cable.

Samsung Micro-USB-to-HDMI adapter (eleven-pin)
The Samsung Galaxy S III, and later Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S4, use an adapter and Micro-USB socket with six additional connector pins in order to achieve functional improvements over the 5-pin design:
It supports the use of USB and MHL simultaneously. (Note that the new Samsung 11-pin MHL-HDMI adapter also has a USB On-The-Go port).
Samsung’s Galaxy S III/ Note 2 can power the MHL-HDMI adapter (when used with a non-MHL-compatible-TV). Although this can theoretically also be done with the standard 5-pin micro-USB connector, the Galaxy S III's 11-pin connector is believed to be the first smartphone that supports this functionality.
The socket is incompatible with all current non-Samsung MHL adapters.

I wish this thing has great I/O performance.

If only I can bring this on my trip, hook up an SDXC reader and HDD/SSD drive to it (via USB hub+otg) and access/backup my sd cards without needing a netbook/notebook.

Most current android phones can do that only in sub 15MB/sec speed..

Ok, so Ubuntu Edge does probably have a microUSB connector which you can plug this MHL dogel to and you get USB-OTG and HDMI?
According to this video its like that, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtwTcnR0hqA

All real phones support micro-usb, If they don't they simply don't care for users and their standards, like apple.

http://igg.me/at/ubuntuedge/x/4036946

Canonical*posted an announcement*6 minutes ago

A message from Mark Shuttleworth

Hi everyone
Thanks in large part to all of you, the Ubuntu Edge campaign response has been incredible. In just over three weeks more than 20,000 people have backed the project, from individuals giving a single dollar right up to Bloomberg’s fantastic $80,000 contribution. Along the way we’ve broken crowdfunding records, including the fastest project to hit $2 million (7hrs 59mins), and the highest ever 24-hour total ($3.45 million). We’re now on the verge of an even bigger milestone as we approach the all-time crowdfunding record of $10.27 million.

Speaking both personally and for the team, the more time we spend on this project, the more excited we get about the possibilities of this new class of device. And as the news has spread we’ve seen industry thought leaders coming round to the idea that convergence can be a real force, and that this project represents a new way to underwrite innovation.That led to some significant engagements with suppliers that enabled us to drop the price below $700, without compromising the specification.

And now that we’ve seen next-generation phones from other major names, we think the price-performance of the Edge is off the charts -- it offers real value. We’re even more convinced that it will take a new approach to unlock the next wave of mobile innovation.Whatever happens in the next nine days, the Ubuntu Edge is already making a difference.

This campaign lets enthusiast consumers signal their interest to a mobile industry that caters overwhelmingly to the mainstream. It’s making it clear that we’re no longer satisfied with minor updates; we’re looking for true innovation and we’re ready to pay for it. And that message is getting through.So in a sense, we can be proud of what’s been achieved already -- but we really want to hit that $32 million!

We’re going to need a huge push, a surge in awareness that builds momentum to carry us over the line. No one here is giving up while the goal remains achievable, and you’ve all gone out of your way to add your voice to the chorus. So I’m writing to ask you to take to the Twitterverse and other social networks to encourage like-minded types to join you, and me, and companies large and small, in backing the Ubuntu Edge.

As they say, the future is already here, it’s just not widely distributed. We’re working to put it in the hands of 40,000 people, to start a revolution. And you’re there at the start.

Mark Shuttleworth
Founder,
Ubuntu and Canonical

^ What a load of bull.

The projects not gonna make it, he's skimpy about it cause its a publicity stunt. You have to be an idiot to not realize.

Stunt or not iOs and Android manufacturers need to speed up their spec and innovation again. This is a nice platform to push new technologies faster, users can also be part of the requirement decision. A more open way to build mobile devices.

Agreed, it won't be the best overall smartphone, but it would be one of the coolest.

This was a publicity stunt all along. Don't tell me that Shuttleworth has loose cash for space tourism but not for a project that is guaranteed to bring him a huge profit. The crowd funding was never meant to succeed because he just doesn't have the hardware to show if it did.

All great products start with a thought that most people don't believe in because they simply can't grasp the greatness of it...

this campaign don't need to succeed to be a successful