The “next-generation cross-platform operating system” is on its way to your phone, and it’s called Ubuntu. At least, that’s what Canonical has revealed in an announcement regarding the new direction of its Linux-based OS, which it believes is poised to take multiplatform computing to the next level. It could well do that–provided the hardware compatibility catches up with the developer community and channel partnerships Canonical has been forging around Ubuntu for mobile devices.

In a message released on the eve of the new year, Canonical hinted at a major new Ubuntu-related announcement early in January. My own prediction that the revelation would involve Ubuntu TV proved wrong, but the focus of the actual announcement, which was about Ubuntu for smartphones, didn’t come as a total surprise.

According to Canonical CEO Jane Silber, the company will be working hard in coming months to deliver Ubuntu-powered phones, which she described as “our most important ever product.” Key to this endeavor is the Unity interface, which Canonical will use on Ubuntu mobile devices to provide cross-platform simplicity for users and developers alike.

So far, Silber made clear, Ubuntu phones are not actually on the market. But Canonical plans “to start working with partners with an aim to release phones before the end of 2013.” It will also preview the devices at CES this week and at MWC next month.

In the meantime, the company will focus on building a developer community around Ubuntu-based phones. It hopes to encourage developers to write new apps for Ubuntu phones, or convert existing apps for the platform, by highlighting the cross-platform simplicity of creating software that will work on Ubuntu PCs, phones and tablets alike: “As long as you create the right interfaces, you can deliver an app for all Ubuntu form factors, but build once and upload once to the same single store, the Ubuntu Software Centre.”

Canonical is also reaching out to OEMs and ODMs using similar talking points. Ubuntu “offers great performance on handsets with a low bill of materials,” the company says, “while opening up new opportunities for phone and PC convergence at the top end of the market. And its amazing user experience can be tailored to your brand, integrating your custom services, content and apps.”

Now, the obvious challenge is to forge enough partnerships with hardware providers to ensure Ubuntu-powered phones actually reach consumers. That’s a tall order, given that other operating systems already saturate the mobile channel. But Canonical appears to have invested very heavily in this initiative, and it just may surprise everyone when it shows the world the hardware Silber alluded to at upcoming events.