Finland: Jolla smartphone with Sailfish OS launched by Ex-Nokia engineers. Compatible with Android apps.

Finland: Jolla smartphone with Sailfish OS launched by Ex-Nokia engineers. Compatible with Android apps.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

The Jolla handset's Sailfish platform has been developed from the MeeGo operating software, Nokia's last open-source platform which it abandoned in 2011 when it switched over to using Microsoft Corp.'s Windows system.

The Jolla spports a 4.5-inch display, eight megapixel camera,  supports fast 4G Internet connections and includes the well-received Nokia's HERE mapping services that cover more than 190 countries.

But, unlike Nokia's phones, Jolla is also compatible with more than 85,000 apps provided by Google Inc.'s Android

Marc Dillon, head of Jolla software and one of four founders of the company in 2011, spent 11 years working for Nokia after moving from the United States. He says Jolla's open operating system gives it an edge over rivals.

"We are providing a world-class choice ... that is an alternative for consumers (and) that can be very agile and powerful," Dillon said in an interview in a Helsinki office block previously occupied by Nokia employees before it laid off thousands. "For our operating system business we have a huge opportunity because there is currently one choice really available to every global mobile manufacturer and that's Android."

In a consumer test, the Jolla, which has a price tag of 399 euros ($540), didn't seem to have much to make it stand out among other smartphones. Its camera is standard; it uses a MicroSD card; has 16GB of memory storage, with a talk time and battery time of some 9-10 hours. But it has nice touches, including multiple swipe features and a useful user-replaceable battery, unlike many other models.

Neil Mawston from Strategy Analytics near London says the Jolla is not "an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy killer" although it but could find a niche in the relentless smartphone race.

"At some point people will start looking for an alternative to Android and Apple so there might be an opportunity in this very cyclical market for Jolla to grab market share," Mawston said. "But I think it will be two or three versions down the line before we really know whether Jolla or Sailfish is worthy of challenging Apple or Android or Microsoft."

Finnish telecoms company DNA, which started selling the Jolla handset on Wednesday evening as hundreds lined up outside the Jolla-DNA marquee in the city center, said it had "thousands of preorders" in 136 countries, led by Finland, Germany and Britain.

The company Jolla, which now has more than 100 employees in Finland and Hong Kong, has found backers among Finnish and foreign investors, including Hong-Kong based China Fortune Holdings Ltd., but Dillon declined to give more information.

AP

Finland: Jolla Sailfish OS now compatible with Android ecosystem.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco De Jesùs.

Finland: Jolla Sailfish OS now compatible with Android ecosystem.

Finnish start up handset manufacturer Jolla has announced that its Sailfish mobile operating system is now compatible with the Android ecosystem, in terms of application and hardware compatibility. Android applications can now run directly on Sailfish OS without any modifications, the firm said.

Jolla unveiled its Sailfish OS in November last year. It is a Linux mobile operating system based on the abandoned MeeGo project. The firm was set up by a group of ex-Nokia executives aiming to design, develop and sell MeeGo-based smartphones. MeeGo was a free, Linux-based mobile operating system project that was first announced at Mobile World Congress 2010 by Intel and Nokia, but abandoned in 2011.

Jolla added that it will cooperate with leading global app stores to ensure users can seamlessly download Android apps just as they would do on an Android device.

“For example, highly popular apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Spotify run directly on Sailfish OS. Also Chinese WeChat – already with over 400 million users – runs on Sailfish OS,” said Jolla CEO Tomi Pienimäki.

Jolla added that Sailfish OS was developed to run on common hardware produced for Android and that this new level of compatibility will enable device vendors who use Sailfish OS to fully utilise the existing Android hardware ecosystem.

The firm believes that this attribute of the OS offers growth opportunities of significant scale for Sailfish globally, especially in China.

“We believe Sailfish with Android compatibility is a highly relevant mobile operating system option for major mobile companies in Europe and in Asia. We are already in discussions with several major Asian vendors regarding this opportunity,” said Pienimäki.

Jolla unveiled its first device in May and announced in August that its first production batch of smartphones had sold out.

It said that all of the pre-orders were fulfilled by mid-July with demand from 136 countries. Jolla said that its view on the size of such a production batch is typically 50,000 units.

“Due to extremely positive feedback and increased demand in the past weeks, we are offering another pre-order opportunity for our second production batch later this week through Jolla.com,” Pienimäki added.

“This will be targeted to Finnish customers who want to express their passion for the Finnish mobile industry.”

PRESS RELEASE

Sailfish OS achieves compatibility with Android ecosystem.

HELSINKI – September 16, 2013. Sailfish OS has achieved a major milestone whereby the OS is now compatible with the AndroidTM ecosystem, in terms of application and hardware compatibility.

Android applications run directly on Sailfish OS without any modifications Users enjoying the unique gesture-based and modern Sailfish OS user experience will be able to take full

advantage of the Android application ecosystem available through various app stores globally. 

Jolla will cooperate  with leading global app stores to ensure users can seamlessly download Android apps just as they would  do on any Android device.

“For example, highly popular apps such as Instagram, WhatsApp and Spotify run directly on Sailfish OS. Also  Chinese WeChat – already with over 400 million users – runs on Sailfish OS,” says Jolla CEO Tomi Pienimäki.

Sailfish OS runs on common Android hardware  Jolla has made a major breakthrough in Android hardware compatibility by developing Sailfish OS to run on  common hardware produced for Android, particularly smartphones and tablets. Vendors interested to utilize

Sailfish OS are now able to develop phones and tablets based on many different chipset and hardware configurations. 

This new level of compatibility will enable device vendors who use Sailfish OS to fully utilize the

existing Android hardware ecosystem.

Jolla believes that this breakthrough offers growth opportunities of significant scale for Sailfish OS globally, especially in China. “We believe Sailfish with Android compatibility is a highly relevant mobile operating system option for major mobile companies in Europe and in Asia.

 We are already in discussions with several major Asian vendors regarding this opportunity,” says Tomi Pienimäki.

Next production batch will be opened for pre-orders this week  The last weeks have been very dynamic in the mobile industry and after the Microsoft-Nokia announcement the strategic position of Jolla and Sailfish OS has strengthened significantly.

“Due to extremely positive feedback and increased demand in the past weeks, we are offering another pre-order  opportunity for our second production batch later this week through jolla.com. 

This will be targeted to Finnish  customers who want to express their passion for the Finnish mobile industry,” Pienimäki concludes.

About Jolla

Jolla Ltd., headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, is developing mobile devices and open Sailfish OS based on the heritage of MeeGo project. In addition to its R&D sites in Helsinki and Tampere, Jolla has offices in Hong Kong.

Please see jolla.com/press for further press and media materials.

Jolla media contact:

press@jolla.com