TL;DR
- Finnish company Jolla has recently launched the new Jolla Phone.
- This smartphone runs the SailfishOS platform, which is a Linux-based alternative to Android and iOS that still supports Android apps.
- The phone ships in H1 2026 and currently retails for ~$639.
Android and iOS are a duopoly, with HUAWEI’s HarmonyOS also accounting for a small slice of the pie. What if you’re looking for an alternative mobile platform, though? Well, you can now pre-order the new Jolla Phone.
Finland’s Jolla Group recently launched the new Jolla Phone, and it runs the SailfishOS mobile operating system. This Linux-based mobile platform was created in 2013 as a spiritual successor to Nokia’s ill-fated MeeGo platform. MeeGo was abandoned when Nokia signed a deal to use the Windows Phone platform back in 2011.
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SailfishOS still offers Android app support, but Jolla adds that the OS doesn’t transmit background data, doesn’t require a Google account, and doesn’t have hidden analytics. The phone will ship with SailfishOS 5, which brings features like upgraded Android app support (upgraded to Android 13), call blocking capabilities, improved microG support, better support for landscape orientation, and an updated web browser engine.
As for the phone itself, the new Jolla Phone packs an unspecified MediaTek 5G chipset, a 6.36-inch FHD+ OLED screen, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a 5,500mAh removable battery. Furthermore, the phone offers a microSD card slot, a privacy switch (to kill the cameras, microphone, and “other sensors”), a notification LED, and a side fingerprint scanner. Don’t expect a cutting-edge camera setup, but a 50MP main shooter and 13MP ultrawide lens should get the job done.
Would you buy a Sailfish OS phone?
14 votes
Nevertheless, it’s rare to find a phone with a microSD card slot, a privacy switch, a notification LED, or a removable battery. So a phone with all of these features is a welcome sight in 2025.
Jolla says that the minimum pre-order target of 2,000 units was exceeded over the launch weekend, and that over 2,500 Jolla Phone units were pre-ordered by Monday (December 8). The company has now opened a second round of pre-orders. Expect to pay a €99 (~$115) deposit for your pre-order, which is then deducted from the final €549 (~$639) price. Don’t want to buy a new phone just to try SailfishOS? Well, Jolla has long offered the mobile OS for several Sony Xperia devices.
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