Jolla, a Finnish startup company founded by ex-Nokians, has unveiled its first smartphone that’s powered by its own Sailfish OS. Equipped with a 4.5-inch display and an individualized back cover, the phone itself seems to carry the company name and therefore be known as Jolla as well.
So what sets this phone apart from the throng of Android and iOS based smartphones? Obviously, the operating system is one. The Sailfish is basically a continuation of now-defunct MeeGo OS that was once developed by Nokia. If you worry leaving your Android apps for a new OS, you’ll be happy to know that the Sailfish OS is capable of running most apps that were originally made for Android. That and it also has its own native applications, promising a large number of available apps during launch.
Not much has been revealed about the hardware. For instance, the screen is reported to measure 4.5 inches, but its screen resolution is unclear and only hinted to be HD. A dual-core processor will power the device, along with 16GB internal storage that’s expandable via an SD card slot. There will also be an 8MP shooter and 4G connectivity, with the latter being dependent on the carrier. When it comes to hardware design, the Jolla phone has a detachable back cover that, when attached to the chassis, affects the software side of the operating system.
[two_fifth]Sailfish OS is capable of running most apps that were originally made for Android.[/two_fifth]
When asked by ZDNet, CEO Tomi Pienimäki explained that there shouldn’t be too much focus on hardware details, since hardware seems to be the only way Android phone vendors make their products stand out from the rest. Instead, the company hopes that its different take on user experience will make the phone competitive.
The Jolla phone is already available for pre-order in Europe and slated to ship later this year.