Canonical's new Ubuntu operating system has garnered some positive buzz since its unveiling, but smartphones using the all-touch-based OS aren't expected to hit until late this year, while tablets won't arrive until 2014. So it's a little surprising that one Australian manufacturer is touting an Ubuntu Intermatrix U7 tablet as ready for release this coming October.

As of now, the Intermatrix U7 doesn't seem to be officially connected with Canonical in any real way, but the company hasn't denied the Intermatrix U7 is a real thing. Even so, that's not necessarily going to stop anyone from releasing a product on their own. Ubuntu is open-source, so it's readily available for any enterprising device maker to take advantage of.

Still, there are some signs the device isn't going to be ready for prime time.

The Intermatrix U7 supposedly packs a 1.5GHz quad-core Cortex A9 processor with a quad-core Vivante GC1000+ GPU, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, a 7-inch display and front and rear cameras. These specs aren't anything to write home about, not to mention the fact that, according to Android Authority, Ubuntu is targeting devices with at least 2GB of RAM. Technically, 1GB is enough to run Ubuntu, but the system runs at a significantly slower, laggier pace. The A9 chip might not be enough to power Ubuntu either, as so far Canonical has only mentioned A15 and Intel's x86.

Even if Ubuntu manages to chug along on the Intermatrix, Canonical has stated there will be no phone support for smartphones until early 2014 at the earliest, and tablets won't get the proper networking until April 2014. The U7 is scheduled for a release that's way too early.

We're not going to say the Intermatrix U7 is a hoax (Android Authority did), but there's definitely something fishy going on here. Pre-orders are already available for about $275, but Intermatrix isn't confirming the specs, shipping date, or price. The best course of action for Ubuntu watchers is simply to wait for more information.