Every Android phone on the market is linux-based....

Well yeah, but this one actually has Ubuntu on it... Thats cool right?

Why do they need our money to do this...or is this just a way to gather interest?

I know I'm only very dated, but for me it's enough to have Ubuntu on my computer... hey! It's a changing world right?! ":O}

Someone's got to pay for the hardware...

No doubt, but I would have guessed that Canonical could have raised it on their own or with their partners?

whats the fun in that?

I just like to try and understand where people are coming from

Yeah I was kidding...
I'm guessing Canonical doesn't have an extra 32 Million to buy their own phones, so they are reaching out to the community. Which is a cool idea... have the consumer pay to get it made.
The perks are ridiculously high, except $20 of course, but it doesn't get me anything.
With games on Kickstarter, usually $20 will get me a copy of the game.