After nearly a year of teasing, Jolla today finally took the wraps off of its first Sailfish OS-powered smartphone. The device features a buttonless front with a 4.5-inch display, and around back there's an 8-megapixel camera. Speaking of the back, users will be able to snap on "Other Half" rear covers that come in colors like orange and teal. Once a new Other Half is attached, things like the colors and fonts used in the software will change, and the Other Half parts can also be used to automatically launch an app when attached.
Rounding out the spec list of Jolla's first smartphone is a dual-core processor, 4G LTE connectivity, 16GB built-in storage, microSD card slot and a removable battery. The phone is powered by Sailfish OS, which is based on the MeeGo platform. MeeGo powered the Nokia N9 as well, though that was a different version of the OS that was also known as "Harmattan." Jolla says that its new device is also Android app compliant, though details on that functionality are still fairly light.
Jolla says that it plans to launch its new smartphone by the end of 2013. The device will roll out to Europe first, with other unnamed countries to follow. Pricing is set at €399, and Jolla is currently offering three different pre-order packages for anyone that's already sold on its upcoming handset. The first is a simple, free reservation of a Jolla smartphone, guaranteeing buyers a unit once the rollout begins. The second package is priced at €40 and includes a limited edition Jolla device as well as a t-shirt and priority pre-order status. Finally, the €100 pre-order package will get buyers a limited edition Other Half and smartphone, a t-shirt, priority pre-order status and a €100 voucher for the Jolla online store.
Jolla has demoed its gesture-based Sailfish OS a couple of times over the past year, but now the software appears to be complete, complete with a new set of icons for its docked apps at the bottom of the display. Jolla's first smartphone looks handsome, with its Other Half rear covers serving as a way to personalize the hardware and software, and it'll be interesting to actually watch the software change when a new cover is attached. Considering that Jolla is entering an ever-growing smartphone market that's already home to many other platforms, we'll have to wait and see how well Jolla's device will do once it launches. The device itself looks nice, though, and I'm sure that there are a few Nokia and N9 fans are looking forward to trying out Jolla's device.
Jolla will be hosting a livestream at 12:30 p.m. ET to show off more of its new device. We'll update you with any other details that the company has to share, but until then, you can find a couple of brief product videos as well as a handful of images below.
Via Jolla
