this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2025
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Finnish company Jolla started out 14 years ago where Nokia left off with MeeGo and developed Sailfish OS as a new Linux smartphone platform. Jolla released their first smartphone in 2013 after crowdfunding but ultimately the Sailfish OS focus the past number of years now has been offering their software stack for use on other smartphone devices. But now it seems they are trying again with a new crowd-funded smartphone.

Sailfish OS has supported a number of Sony Xperia smartphones and a variety of OnePlus / Samsung / Google / Xiaomi devices and more maintained by the community. Last year Jolla also announced an "AI computer" as part of the AI hardware craze. Now though they are apparently trying again at their own in-house smartphone.

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[–] BlessedDog@lemmy.world 22 points 6 days ago

I was at a bar in Tampere (a city here in Finland) last week and met a guy with a phone running Sailfish OS. I've been interested in them for quite a few years so I asked him to let me see it and he did. Even though it was a 6+ year old phone it was running smooth as butter, the initial UX was awesome.

I really hope this becomes a reality and that the phone isn't just another cheap chinese touchscreen device. I am making the switch when the time comes.

[–] onlinepersona@programming.dev 5 points 5 days ago

Why make your own phone? Why not partner with Fairphone? Fairphone seems to be the only vendor out there that sells phones with an alternative ROM (/e/ OS), they might very well be open to an alternative OS like Sailfish.

[–] Lojcs@piefed.social 14 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

That design looks AMAZING.

Is there anything I need to know about the political affiliations of Jolla / past products / sailfish os before I pre-order this thing?

Edit: nvm, no global shipping

[–] vga@sopuli.xyz 11 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

Is there anything I need to know about the political affiliations of Jolla / past products / sailfish os before I pre-order this thing?

They worked with and in Russia for a while before the big Ukraine invasion but left immediately after that. If I remember right.

They're based in Finland, mostly, and some of the founders are ex-Nokia mobile phone people.

If they have any sort of politics, they have been classy enough to keep a sock on it.

[–] Tonava@sopuli.xyz 8 points 6 days ago

Yeah, they don't seem to have done anything outrageous, I haven't heard anything and quick search didn't bring up any results. Working in Russia isn't alarming for a finnish company, unless they'd have continued. The most worrying thing is that AI stuff in my opinion, but they're kinda just following the expected trend for any company right now, so that isn't very alarming either (as long as they keep it away from the phone stuff). All in all just a pretty basic finnish company.

[–] vga@sopuli.xyz 9 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

So does this mean that a 5" is possible, or that they are going to make it? The 6" model is way too big for me.

Is the 99 € refundable? Yes. Fully.

Well ok, I think I'll put my money in and we'll see if they manage to make that reasonably sized model.

[–] GamingChairModel@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Kinda off topic, but now I'm wondering whether Europeans think of phone size (and laptops and screens) in terms of inches rather than centimeters?

[–] ArkimedesWasRight@lemmy.world 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

We do indeed think, and market devices using inch for screen size. Simply because it always been that way. People are used to it. Now, how many actually know that spec refers to the diagonal...

[–] vga@sopuli.xyz 2 points 6 days ago

We do. Same thing for monitor and TV sizes.

[–] rekabis@lemmy.ca 0 points 6 days ago

I'm wondering whether ~~Europeans~~ the other 96% of humanity

There, FTFY.

And yes, the other 96% of humanity would very much like to see Imperial measurements die.

Hell, as a Canadian born after 1970, I wouldn’t understand almost all Imperial measurements even if they smacked me clear in the forehead. About the most I have ever used are inches, feet, and pounds, and only because they’ve hung on in tightly-linked-to-America blue-collar industries and (until about a decade ago) grocery stores. I would have zero clue how much a cup or a Florida Ounce is.

[–] immobile7801@piefed.social 8 points 6 days ago

I want this. I don't think its available in The US though. Someone please make a good linux phone! I like grapheneOS but its still based on android, which hasn't had a great track record of late.

[–] entwine@programming.dev 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Is buying a smartphone with a properietary OS from an EU company really a smart decision after chat control?

I think I'm going to be sticking with Graphene

[–] foenkyfjutschah@programming.dev 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

afaict the OS is fully Open Source. that's a claim on their website.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

It's proprietary with some open source components.

They've said they aim to be fully open source some day

[–] kilgore_trout@feddit.it 0 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Rather the opposite: it's Free Software, aside from UX components.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

No, it isn't.

Some parts are open source. Much of it isn't. And it's certainly not limited to just UX.

I learned C++ just to write apps for my N95, haven't used it since it broke.

I would pick it up again in a heartbeat if I had a new Jolla phone in my hands.

[–] PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 2 points 6 days ago (1 children)

i wish i hadn't just replaced my Note 20 Ultra now

[–] NaturalViber@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Why? I have a note 20 ultra, which is why I'm asking.

[–] PrettyFlyForAFatGuy@feddit.uk 1 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

End of software support is fast approaching and i got a good deal on a like new Honor Magic V5.

Also the screen was dying and the battery wasn't far off either. It's still a fantastic phone though

Nice. I put in the down payment of 99 €, let's see what happens.

[–] paris@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 6 days ago

Jolla released their first smartphone in 2013 after crowdfunding but ultimately the Sailfish OS focus the past number of years now has been offering their software stack for use on other smartphone devices.

This sentence took me so long to decipher. For others struggling, read "has been offering" as "has been to offer". It's saying they tried hardware, but ultimately they've been offering their software stack to other hardware instead of making their own.

[–] kepix@lemmy.world -1 points 6 days ago (4 children)

if you arent trying to develope for existing phones, you are part of the problem

[–] pinball_wizard@lemmy.zip 4 points 6 days ago

Until we have affordable fully open phone hardware specifications, the current phone hardware oligopolies will continue to gate keep with brittle proprietary drivers to ensure that people stay inside their walled surveillance garden.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 1 points 5 days ago

That's hard to do given the driver issues, how locked down phones are, and the fact you're completely reliant on the benevolence of another faceless multi-billion (or trillion) dollar company.

Very very few existing phones allow bootloader unlocking and using your own keys, its why GrapheneOS only works on Google Pixel devices.

I imagine at some point even Pixels will stop allowing that.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

There's a reason even GrapheneOS is looking to build their own phones. You pretty much need a published device tree and that's becoming rarer than hen's teeth in current phones. Even Pixel's are starting to get locked down.

[–] Babalugats@feddit.uk 90 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (8 children)

I hope they succeed, it's a very tough market.

They probably need a lot of ducks to line up in a row. But the current privacy wave and the push for digital sovereignty in Europe might help.

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[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 43 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Get me a linux smart phone with a headphone jack and I will buy it in a heartbeat, but I don't think very many other people will.

[–] MystValkyrie@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 6 days ago (4 children)

It's so bizarre that all the user-repairable phone startups are refusing to put in a headphone jack. Like, the entire point is to limit e-waste, so why are they expecting me to throw out my wired headphones to buy Bluetooth ones or get an adapter that will stop working in a year?

[–] domi@lemmy.secnd.me 11 points 6 days ago (2 children)

What makes you think a USB-C to headphone jack adapter stops working after a year? There's the same circuit in there that does the DAC like in a phone headphone jack.

Maybe I've just had bad experiences. After my Blackberry finally gave out, my next phone didn't have a headphone jack, and I couldn't find an adapter that was reliable.

[–] vaionko@sopuli.xyz 3 points 6 days ago

My problem is they like to disappear after a year

[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 6 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

I despise any earbuds/cans that you can't replace the battery in and prefer a wired set of headphones. so much e-waste every year or multiple times a year when they get lost. I've never lost a corded headset lol.

[–] saplyng@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago

The liberux nexx, recently announced they're still trying to get the phone out and it has a headphone jack!

[–] brian@programming.dev 1 points 6 days ago

you can also buy a nice USB/Bluetooth dac instead of the inline ones that tend to be more fragile. better quality than an internal one and the flexibility of Bluetooth if you want it. generally a little bulky but if you already have wired headphones I don't think it's significant

[–] Ludicrous0251@piefed.zip 14 points 6 days ago

And I could care less about a headphone jack (I'm an Android user and I'd say Apple's USB-C DAC is better than 99% of cheap built-in phone DACs - change my mind) but since we're making requests I'll take a phone that's <5.5" please!

[–] Auth@lemmy.world 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

headphone jack is dead. Its pointless to add it to new devices.

[–] UnspecificGravity@piefed.social 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Funny take given the resurgence of standalone mp3 players and handheld gaming machines, all with 3.5mm jacks.

Those were all supposed to be dead too.

[–] Auth@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

resurgence of standalone mp3 players

Which retirement home is this happening in?

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