283
Jolla Trying Again To Develop A New Sailfish OS Linux Smartphone (www.phoronix.com)
submitted 2 days ago by cm0002@toast.ooo to c/linux@programming.dev
45 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Small specialized outfits in Shenzhen can slap together a model in a few weeks tops. (And that video is nine years old.)

The software ecosystem, or rather lack thereof, is the far bigger hurdle.

[-] arendjr@programming.dev 1 points 1 day ago

True, but aren’t there decent Android emulation layers for Linux available nowadays? Not sure how well-integrated into SailfishOS that is, but giving it a shot…

[-] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I mean, it's probably much easier to just make an Android phone that will work with Android apps natively without discrepancies in the UI, workflows, permissions, and such. Unless Google has some trademark provisions or stuff like that. From what I can tell, Amazon and the like do it just fine. Of course, getting developers into yet another app store would be about just as difficult as with Sailfish.

[-] arendjr@programming.dev 1 points 1 day ago

Presumably, it’s just that I can’t stand the Android UX personally, which is the main reason I’m on iOS. But if a good, open alternative comes along I’m willing to try…

[-] FG_3479@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

The Android UX can be changed in a fork. Samsung's One UI is a good example.

[-] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Ooh, if you don't like Android UX, wait until you try applications UI that doesn't jibe with the underlying OS interface. Like Qt apps on Mac and such. It's like getting poked in the face every time you use the app.

[-] arendjr@programming.dev 1 points 1 day ago

Yeah, familiar with that experience 😅 Could be I end up disliking Sailfish for that exact reason, but if there’s a handful of good native apps that might mitigate quite a lot. Could also be I end up using it as a second phone, one with fewer distractions on it…

this post was submitted on 05 Dec 2025
283 points (100.0% liked)

Linux

10461 readers
616 users here now

A community for everything relating to the GNU/Linux operating system (except the memes!)

Also, check out:

Original icon base courtesy of lewing@isc.tamu.edu and The GIMP

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Ategon@programming.dev
anzo@programming.dev
dwraf_of_ignorance@programming.dev