Jolla, the Finnish start-up led by former Nokia executives, has unveiled the first smartphone to showcase its new mobile operating system, Sailfish.
The handset comes at a price of €399 and should ship in Europe by the end of this year. Called, for now, just ‘Jolla’, it has a replaceable rear cover, which works with the device’s software to support different colors, fonts, profiles and functions.
Details of the product remain sparse and apart from the adaptable cover are fairly standard ‘ a 4.5-inch display, dual-core processor, LTE connectivity, 8-megapixel camera and replaceable battery.
Of course, the real differentiator will be Sailfish itself, a modern cloud-oriented OS which is also reported to allow Android applications to run. It is based on MeeGo, the platform co-created by Nokia and Intel but virtually abandoned when the former tied up with Microsoft (though Intel still has an interest, along with Samsung, in another open source initiative based around MeeGo, Tizen, which unites the OS with another Linux flavor, LiMo).
The first carrier to go public with support is, predictably, Finland’s own DNA, but the firm has not yet achieved a tier one supporter, as Mozilla’s rival Firefox Mobile did with Telefonica. However, the Finnish company has been building channels and relationships in China and this is likely to be its key focus despite the initial launch in Europe. China not only has high smartphone growth ahead but is more open to new software platforms than many other markets, though it has several strong challengers of its own to the Google/Apple axis, including Baidu’s Cloud OS.
Jolla aims to drum up interest in its platform with a pre-order campaign which will offer limited edition models to early sign-ups. ‘Show that there is a market for Jolla by participating in our pre-order campaign,’ said Marc Dillion, co-founder and EVP of R&D.
He knows how hard it is for new platforms to get noticed in the crowded and Android-led mobile sector but aims to create a community of enthusiasts. He added: ‘If you’re a blogger, please write about us. If you’re an application developer, start creating Sailfish applications. If you’re into design or fashion, start creating styles for Jolla. But most importantly Jolla is a movement. Join the tribe.’ The company has launched the Sailfish Alliance, which includes OEMs, ODMs, chipmakers, operators, developers and retailers who are interested in the new OS.
Earlier this month, Jolla appointed experienced Tomi Pienimaki as CEO, indicating the experienced executive would provide a strong pair of management hands as the start-up moves into full delivery phase. It has raised $258m so far from a range of telecoms industry players to launch Sailfish, and it will distribute the OS to device manufacturers free of charge, generating revenue by licensing proprietary software features and from intellectual property rights.