Jolla Announces Sailfish OS 1.0

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Jolla Announces Sailfish OS 1.0

Posted by Soulskill on Friday February 21, 2014 @04:04AM from the competition-is-a-good-thing dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Sailfish, the Linux-based mobile operating system developed by Finnish devicemaker Jolla, has reached version 1.0. Sailfish arose from the ashes of several failed and interrupted projects to bring a new, major Linux-based platform to mobile devices. It's already running on phones sold in India and Russia, but more importantly, Sailfish was designed to be easily ported to existing Android devices. It's also built to support many Android apps. Jolla will begin providing complete firmware downloads during the first half of the year."

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TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:06 · Score: -1

Does anyone care ?? NO !!
1. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by bobbied · 2014-02-21 04:24 · Score: 0
  
  I hear ya!
  Oh.. Wait...
  
  --
  "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
2. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:27 · Score: 1
  
  Clearly the people who made the OS and the people who voted the story up cared, as well as a substantial portion of the people commenting.
3. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by colin_faber · 2014-02-21 04:32 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I care. I'm actually pretty excited in both the phone (HW) as well as the OS. Personally I really like the idea of being able to ditch Android for another, possibly better software platform which doesn't have all the google hooks.
4. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by lagomorpha2 · 2014-02-21 04:49 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  I care. I'm actually pretty excited in both the phone (HW) as well as the OS. Personally I really like the idea of being able to ditch Android for another, possibly better software platform which doesn't have all the google hooks.
  I'm ready to switch to a platform that isn't any better so long as it doesn't have the google hooks.
5. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by Zontar+The+Mindless · 2014-02-21 04:52 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  I always care about having more choices. Why do you hate our freedoms?
  
  --
  Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
6. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by substance2003 · 2014-02-21 04:58 · Score: 1
  
  Does anyone care ?? NO !!
  Err I do.
7. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 08:41 · Score: 1
  Replicant is a really cool and useful project, however it doesn't run on most phones and doesn't have a phone manufacturer behind it. With Jolla you get the same low level freedom but you get a standard manufacturers warranty and it's all pre installed and just works. It's a much higher level of convenience even than Cyanogenmod.
  Replicant - fully free / limited hardware / Android non market apps
  CyanogenMod / unfree blobs / Google integrated (infested / enhanced) / Linux in an escapable cage / full apps
  Jolla - low level free and FOSS friendly / Linux software as you would like it / professional and supported
  Personally, use all of them and see them as complementary. Replicant is most important for it's non restrictive SDK. The other two are great in practice and I couldn't line without both
8. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by benmhall · 2014-02-21 10:17 · Score: 2
  
  I'm ready to switch to a platform that isn't any better so long as it doesn't have the google hooks.
  You should try a new BlackBerry. I've been using my Z10 for a year now and am very pleased with it. On top of being fast, efficient, and very productive for day-to-day tasks, the browser is the best on the market, the company has a proven track record of top-of-class security, and the hardware is very well made. It also has the best virtual keyboard I've ever used, and the latest version allows for direct installation of Android APKs, if you're in to a boatload of apps. (I've installed a couple, they work perfectly, but on balance, the core apps are simply top-notch and tend to be what I use day-to-day.)
  Of course, it can work with Google Calendar, Contacts, etc, but you are in no what stuck with Google's hooks. It also works well with Microsoft/ActiveSync/whatever else you'd want.
  All of that said, as an operating system junky, I'm very interested in try Sailfish. I have a Nokia 770 and N810 in a drawer. This is the continuation of that line and I'd love to see what the great engineers have come up with now that they're free of Nokia.
9. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by orient · 2014-02-21 12:55 · Score: 1
  
  I like the idea of being able to switch to a better OS where I can use all the Google hooks.
  
  --
  Laudele lor desigur m-ar mahni peste masura.
10. Re:TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NO ONE IS THERE !! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 20:28 · Score: 0
  
  The only unfree blobs CyanogenMod comes with are for drivers that have no open alternative, generally for GPU. Flashing gapps is optional when you install CM.
India and Russia by Microlith · 2014-02-21 04:09 · Score: 5, Informative

It's already running on phones sold in India and Russia
No, they will begin selling into those regions. They're already shipping to much of Europe.
You know, regions that don't have problems with patent trolls tearing at companies with worthless software patents.
1. Re:India and Russia by Radak · 2014-02-21 06:18 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  They're already shipping to much of Europe.
  This. I've got a Jolla in my hand right now (in Europe), and I'm loving it. It's not the world's most powerful hardware by any stretch of the imagination, but it's a great attempt at a new approach to UI and it's really nice to see a phone that caters to the geek market at the same time as being very usable to those who aren't so interested in what's going on under the hood. The ability to run Android apps (which it does very well) is the icing on the cake. I'm a very pleased customer so far, and looking forward to what's to come.
The obvious question by Chrisq · 2014-02-21 04:11 · Score: 4, Interesting

The obvious question that everyone will be asking is "why should I install this rather than cyanogenmod, firefox OS or replicant if I really mistrust big business?
1. Re:The obvious question by qw(name) · 2014-02-21 04:17 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Sorry but people aren't asking this "obvious" question. It's just about more choice and that's a good thing.
2. Re:The obvious question by Chrisq · 2014-02-21 04:18 · Score: 2
  
  Sorry but people aren't asking this "obvious" question. It's just about more choice and that's a good thing.
  Agreed - it wasn't a criticism its a genuine question. I have a spare Nexus and I'm thinking of putting something on it, but I haven't decided what!
3. Re:The obvious question by clickclickdrone · 2014-02-21 04:20 · Score: 0
  
  Choice is only good to a point. After that it works backwards and puts people off or paralyses their decision making. Supermarkets found they sell more jam if there's 4 types than 40...
  
  --
  I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
4. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:26 · Score: 0, Flamebait
  
  Choice is only good to a point. After that it works backwards and puts people off or paralyses their decision making. Supermarkets found they sell more jam if there's 4 types than 40...
  Bullshit. Having choice is always good.
  Only idiots or corporate shills spout the mantra "less is more". Yeah less for the consumer, more for the corporation.
  If you're an adult and can't deal with choices in life something is seriously wrong with you.
5. Re:The obvious question by Reservoir+Penguin · 2014-02-21 04:32 · Score: 0
  
  Excessive choices often indicates laziness and failure to come up with reasonable defaults rather then a burning desire for freedom.
  
  --
  US-UK-Israel: The real Axis of Evil
6. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:36 · Score: 0
  
  COMMUNIST!
7. Re:The obvious question by wonkey_monkey · 2014-02-21 04:38 · Score: 1
  
  If you're an adult and can't deal with choices in life something is seriously wrong with you.
  Sorry numbnuts, but humans aren't the mythical perfectly rational beings that you seem to think you are.
  
  --
  systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
8. Re:The obvious question by oodaloop · 2014-02-21 04:39 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Well, when we have 40 different OSs from which to choose, then we might have that problem. Right now, we don't even have 4 viable candidates, so adding Sailfish to the mix can only help.
  
  --
  Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
9. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:42 · Score: 0
  
  Excessive choices often indicates laziness and failure to come up with reasonable defaults rather then a burning desire for freedom.
  Nonsense.
  Are you paralysed when buying a car ?
  Are you paralysed when choosing where to go on vacation ?
  Are you paralysed when you choose in which part of a city to live in ?
  Are you paralysed when you need to buy a brand of bread, orange juice, cookies etc... ?
  Are you paralysed when choosing wether to get a second, third, fourth medical advice from different doctors ?
  Etc....
  Only in the IT industry, who wants to sell you closed platforms and ads is choice being negated. We see it time and time again. All under the stupid mantra of simplifying. In this context simplifying means transforming the consumer from active agent to a passive one. And you end un being a couch potato.
  Modern IT industry is like communism. One thought party. Fuck that.
10. Re:The obvious question by clickclickdrone · 2014-02-21 04:52 · Score: 1
  
  Bullshit. Having choice is always good.
  OK, just keep telling yourself that, you'll make the government and big business very happy. Here in the UK we've had all sorts of services turned to junk as the government privetise everything they can in order to give us the mythical choice we apparantly all want (guess they must have interviewed you for that one). Sorry but a lot of research has been done on this one and choice is not always good. it' sjust the current mantra and you've bought into it.
  
  --
  I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
11. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:55 · Score: 0
  
  If you're an adult and can't deal with choices in life something is seriously wrong with you.
  Sorry numbnuts, but humans aren't the mythical perfectly rational beings that you seem to think you are.
  The perfect is the enemy of the good. So the numbnut is you not me.
12. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 05:03 · Score: 0
  
  Bullshit. Having choice is always good.
  OK, just keep telling yourself that, you'll make the government and big business very happy. Here in the UK we've had all sorts of services turned to junk as the government privetise everything they can in order to give us the mythical choice we apparantly all want (guess they must have interviewed you for that one).
  Sorry but a lot of research has been done on this one and choice is not always good. it' sjust the current mantra and you've bought into it.
  We're talking about consumer products for pete's sake. When replying to someone context is important. I said nothing about government policies. I'm a European (French) and I firmly believe in market regulation and public services. But when it comes to consumer products you bet your ass I want choice.
13. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 05:46 · Score: 0
  
  It's not *just* not being Google.
  Sailfish has a different approach to multitasking from the one Android copied from Apple: Whenever you are in an application, you can sort of "minimize" it with a swipe from the side. Small views of "minimized" applications are shown on the screen; you can tap on one to call it back up, or interact directly with the minimized version with simple gestures (such as pause the minimized, running, music player or switch to the next audio track).
  Most of these minimized gestures are pretty useless, but I like simply having an overview of what's running.
  Er, and yes, this is not a terribly good description. There are lots of Sailfish UI videos on YouTube, check them out.
14. Re:The obvious question by dreamchaser · 2014-02-21 06:45 · Score: 1
  
  That is a UI approach, not a multitasking approach. Androids multitasking model/approach is vastly different than Apple's.
15. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 08:00 · Score: 0
  
  When there are so many OS choices, what happens is that app makers either have to choose a platform, or spend a lot of time trying to deal with disparate code bases. There is no real way to have a common code and UI base between C#, Objective-C, Java (well, Dalvik), and HTML5, so a company trying to do apps for the platforms essentially has to write four completely different apps with nothing in common but the graphics in order to do this, and write them well, factoring in each platform's weaknesses.
  It would be easier if interpreted code was able to be used, but Apple does not allow it, so the only way it works is writing objective C, and having the other platforms have a wrapper around that, unless one wants to reinvent the wheel on every platform.
16. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 08:12 · Score: 0
  
  Or they can do their apps in Qt.
17. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 08:43 · Score: 0
  
  And the obvious answer is because i want to, because it offers something that android doesn't. Gnu what I'm saying?
  My issue is with the android system itself. As in. "lets put everything to do with functionality into the android VM that sits on top of a Linux kernel that is fully capable of that on its own and tell people it's Linux and they can do whatever they want to do(as long as it's android and not Linux)".
  Cyanogenmod and replicant both leave my device less capable than stock. In order to "free myself" with cyanogen I need to accept hardware (power drain, bluetooth, camera) issues or deal with app issues with replicant. Firefox OS? They may be more benevolent than Google, but in the end it's still another sandbox.
18. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 11:43 · Score: 0
  
  The advantage of putting a Mer project derivative like Jolla would be that you get a more or less full Linux and can easily add related packages. If you already have another Android device for other use and want to hack around a bit it's likely to be a better choice than just another Android.
19. Re: The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 13:27 · Score: 0
  
  That's exactly why amazon.com went bankrupt. Nearly every possible item made on the planet is available in their catalog.
  A consumer could never decide between so many options and hence never made any purchases. Market lesson here, folks. Only sell one item, provide no choice and people will buy it whether they want it or not.
20. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 18:29 · Score: 0
  
  "why should I install this"
  To me, it's a completely different beast than those light players competing only on User experience arena. To quote Wikipedia:
  Sailfish OS is be able to use software from following platforms
  Sailfish (natively created + ported like from Qt, Symbian, MeeGo
  - developers have reported that porting a Qt written software with Sailfish SDK takes a few hours only)
  Android applications are directly running in Sailfish OS.
  -They are compatible as they are in third-party Android stores, with no needed modification (in most cases).
  MeeGo
  -because of backward compatibility thanks to MeeGo code legacy included in the Mer core
  Unix and Linux
  -as Sailfish is Linux then using such a software is possible, especially RPM packages, either in terminal/console mode or with limitations implying from using Sailfish UI, if not ported and adjusted
  HTML5
  -obviously
21. Re:The obvious question by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 12:16 · Score: 0
  
  the one Android copied from Apple, before Apple had one
  FTFY
22. Re:The obvious question by greenfruitsalad · 2014-02-23 22:02 · Score: 1
  
  so obviously, if we had fewer platform (hardware) choices, we'd have more OS (software) choices. :)
Another mobile operating system by Danathar · 2014-02-21 04:16 · Score: 1

Honestly, from a technical perspective it's cool that people do this.
But realistically what are the chances that another mobile OS is going to displace IOS or Android? Very VERY low.
1. Re:Another mobile operating system by Chrisq · 2014-02-21 04:20 · Score: 1
  
  Honestly, from a technical perspective it's cool that people do this.
  But realistically what are the chances that another mobile OS is going to displace IOS or Android? Very VERY low.
  But even as a niche system, if it has some innovation that is taken up by Android or iOS then that's good too.
2. Re:Another mobile operating system by oodaloop · 2014-02-21 04:25 · Score: 1
  
  So if it doesn't surpass iOS or Android, it's completely worthless? Any competition in the marketplace is positive for users. I would love to have more choices for installing OSs on my phone.
  
  --
  Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
3. Re:Another mobile operating system by bobbied · 2014-02-21 04:27 · Score: 1
  
  But realistically what are the chances that another mobile OS is going to displace IOS or Android? Very VERY low.
  All we had before Android came out was iOS, Windows CE, and Blackberry...
  I don't see a reason not to try, sometimes it works out.
  
  --
  "File to fit, pound to insert, paint to match" - Aircraft Maintenance 101
4. Re:Another mobile operating system by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:27 · Score: 1
  
  That's what they said about Linux displacing Windows on the desktop.
5. Re:Another mobile operating system by jovius · 2014-02-21 04:30 · Score: 1
  
  They are nil, but displacement is not needed. Almost exactly one billion smartphones were shipped last year. 1% of that is already a huge business and dream come true for niche players. Jolla has stated that they would have a viable business with sales in hundreds of thousands. Their goal as stated by the CEO is million devices (at the moment), while they are also licensing the OS.
6. Re:Another mobile operating system by colin_faber · 2014-02-21 04:38 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Agreed, such as being in the "It's not google" and "It's not apple" niche, which is very attractive to someone like me.
7. Re:Another mobile operating system by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:39 · Score: 0
  
  The way the console app super imposes a virtual keyboard over the content in the bash shell and fades it out when not in use is innovative. It's quite usable and saves 50% of available screen space. I'd like to see this idea taken up elsewhere.
8. Re:Another mobile operating system by pijokela · 2014-02-21 04:40 · Score: 2
  
  It's company of about 100 people. They said already last year that they only need to sell hundreds of thousands of phones to make it a feasible business. They don't need to replace anyone.
  And besides, I've been using the Jolla phone for three months now and I love it! So clearly, for me and the other customers, they make a difference.
9. Re:Another mobile operating system by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:44 · Score: 0
  
  That's what they said about Android a few years ago.
10. Re:Another mobile operating system by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:49 · Score: 0
  
  Honestly, from a technical perspective it's cool that people do this.
  But realistically what are the chances that another mobile OS is going to displace IOS or Android? Very VERY low.
  You don't need to displace IOS or Android to be a viable business.
11. Re:Another mobile operating system by hugortega · 2014-02-21 05:29 · Score: 1
  
  True. Also, the world always needs options when talking about technology. This is the way we progress.
12. Re: Another mobile operating system by corychristison · 2014-02-21 07:22 · Score: 1
  
  Does it have an ssh client available to use in said console?
  So far on Android the best I've found is ConnectBot. Honestly the screen real estat sucks, even on my Nexus 4.
13. Re: Another mobile operating system by Urkki · 2014-02-21 07:50 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Does it have an ssh client available to use in said console?
  So far on Android the best I've found is ConnectBot. Honestly the screen real estat sucks, even on my Nexus 4.
  I suppose for Linux console you'd use OpenSSH, as usual. You can build it yourself if you wish, or you can find a ready-made .rpm package.
  It's a "real" Linux, you know. And by "real" I mean, much like a mainstream PC Linux distro.
14. Re: Another mobile operating system by Richy_T · 2014-02-21 08:11 · Score: 1
  
  Connectbot suffers from a lack of landscape mode. There are a few other things that would make it more usable also. It's free though.
15. Re: Another mobile operating system by corychristison · 2014-02-21 08:25 · Score: 1
  
  Good to know. I just assumed it used the Android Kernel much like Firefox OS, and was more or less android-ish. I didn't know you could run Linux Binaries.
  I'
16. Re: Another mobile operating system by corychristison · 2014-02-21 08:27 · Score: 1
  
  I accidentally hit the Submit button
  The end should have read:
  I'll have to look more into it.
17. Re: Another mobile operating system by pijokela · 2014-02-21 09:38 · Score: 2
  
  I just opened the terminal, typed ssh, hit return and got the ssh synopsis. So, ssh client is installed with the terminal by selecting developer mode in the settings.
  More importantly for me the phone has a ssh server that's a really nice way to move stuff to and from it.
18. Re:Another mobile operating system by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 10:19 · Score: 0
  
  Jolla does not need to replace anything. They just offer something different and even more than the others. It is really cool to have a phone which you can log in and install a application and its dependencies from the package management system as in any Linux distro would do. And as a bonus, it also runs Android apps, even the ones which use native code can run perfectly. YMMV, orf course.
19. Re:Another mobile operating system by cbhacking · 2014-02-21 10:47 · Score: 1
  
  Also Symbian, WebOS, and Maemo, the last being a pretty direct ancestor of Sailfish.
  Today there's Windows Phone (NT in the case of WP8), still Blackberry, Firefox OS (Boot To Gecko), Ubuntu Touch (or whatever they call their mobile offering, I forget), and of course Sailfish.
  The odds that any particular one is going to overtake either (much less both) of the big two isn't great, but it's not zero either. Technology marches on. What we think of as "modern" smartphones are less than ten years old, and the oldest thing you could reasonably call a smartphone is only about twice as long as that. There have been several upsets in that time. The industry is young yet.
  
  --
  There's no place I could be, since I've found Serenity...
20. Re:Another mobile operating system by nurb432 · 2014-02-21 11:47 · Score: 1
  
  And the statement was that it wouldn't displace either. You, and the rest of your irrelevant microscopic group may switch, but that doesn't qualify as "displacing" anything, other than a bit of hot air.
  Displacement requires the majority to do so, which you wont see happen.
  
  --
  ---- Booth was a patriot ----
21. Re:Another mobile operating system by ChunderDownunder · 2014-02-21 16:05 · Score: 1
  
  You left out Tizen, of which there might be announcements in the next week at the phone conference.
22. Re: Another mobile operating system by Sudline · 2014-02-21 19:10 · Score: 1
  
  The kernel is Gonk. https://developer.mozilla.org/... Since Mozilla has full control, it has to be different of Android kernel.
23. Re: Another mobile operating system by Eunuchswear · 2014-02-21 21:41 · Score: 1
  
  Does it have an ssh client available to use in said console?
  So far on Android the best I've found is ConnectBot. Honestly the screen real estat sucks, even on my Nexus 4.
  of course it has a ssh client. It hsa OpenSSH.
  Sailfish is a real GNU/Linux system.
  
  --
  Watch this Heartland Institute video
Replicant by tepples · 2014-02-21 04:48 · Score: 1

Personally I really like the idea of being able to ditch Android for another, possibly better software platform which doesn't have all the google hooks.
There's already Replicant, an AOSP branch that runs any Android application that doesn't critically depend on Google Play Services.
Thank God that blasted beta slashdot is gone ! by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-21 04:51 · Score: -1

Thank God that blasted beta slashdot is gone !
Waiting for Nexus 4 image by c.r.o.c.o · 2014-02-21 04:57 · Score: 3, Interesting

I almost don't care how buggy it will be, as soon as Jolla or someone else will release a fully functional image for my Nexus 4, I will flash it.
I am already running CM10.2 without a Google Account or any Google Apps for that mattet, and source all my apps from f-droid. So in my case the tether has been cut about 4 months ago, and I do not miss Google one bit.
Switching back to Sailfish, having used Maemo and Meego in the past, will be awesome. Looking forward to it.
1. Re:Waiting for Nexus 4 image by xophos · 2014-02-21 20:00 · Score: 1
  
  just to make that clear (it'snot very clear on the homepage) only parts of sailfishos are open source.
Nokia N9 by bank2600 · 2014-02-21 05:39 · Score: 1

I was excited at reading about this a while back. Too bad that you can't have Android apps on N9 ports due to liscensing. =( Still excited for when they relase hardware in the US.
As a USA consumer by Dino · 2014-02-21 07:35 · Score: 1

I am mostly interested on when the phone will be released for USA markets and what bands it will support.

--
That's not what I meant.
1. Re:As a USA consumer by hiryuu · 2014-02-21 20:03 · Score: 1
  
  Seconded. I thought very hard about buying a launch phone, despite being averse to bleeding-edge purchases or otherwise being an early adopter. All the phones in my household are unlocked quad-band Nokia models that are getting a little long in the tooth, and I was disappointed with the direction Elop took the company. My hope was definitely rekindled with Jolla, and I'll be anxious to see what rolls out for the US market.
  
  --
  Karma: Excellent, but still won't get you laid.
2. Re:As a USA consumer by hobarrera · 2014-02-22 14:58 · Score: 1
  
  With the issues with patent trolls that dominate the US, it's a very dangerous territory for them to leap into, so I don't think it's one of their priorities.
Not a replacement.. by sqorbit · 2014-02-21 07:46 · Score: 1

I think the people commenting that this will not replace iOS or Android are missing the point. Phone users care less about OS choice then desktop users. They see a phone as one unit. A iPhone is not a phone running iOS and a Android phone is not a phone running Android OS. Just talk to many consumers about who own a Samsung or Motorola phone and they often times have no idea what Android even means. Installing Linux on a desktop is difficult enough. No standard consumer is going to install it on a phone. I believe the point of creating this is to offer a choice to those who want it. At least I hope the developers aren't hoping to one day take down iOS!. Consumers buy a phone and use it because of the features the OS has, They don't separate the software from the hardware when they think about it.A choice for those who want it though is never a bad thing.

--
Sent from my TARDIS
1. Re:Not a replacement.. by xvan · 2014-02-21 13:58 · Score: 1
  
  No, the objective is to gain a critical mass of developers, and to provide a sort of beta tests for chinese manufacturers.
  That makes keeps you relevant (to the industry, not the users), and gives you a business chance with the chinese folks.
  The only reason it's so hard to port OS's , is because the binary drivers. Manufacturers shouldn't have that issue.
Finland? by CptPicard · 2014-02-21 11:34 · Score: 1

Jolla is Finnish, the first device sold was in Finland, it's being sold in Finland...

--
I want to play Free Market with a drowning Libertarian.
1. Re:Finland? by xvan · 2014-02-21 16:50 · Score: 2
  
  Their phones, like every other, are chinese / (insert Asian semiconductor manufacturer of preference)
Also EU by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-22 05:12 · Score: 0

Just to add it cause it's not said so, you can also get it in entire EU, not just india and russia :)
Re:Android compatibility by Anonymous Coward · 2014-02-23 07:51 · Score: 0

Can anyone clarify the extent of the Android app compatibility?
I understand it is using AlienDalvik to emulate the JVM so will at the least support all Android java apps fairly well, what i would like to know is whether it supports android apps with native code like most of the larger games? I assume as the hardware is the same the native code portion of the android apps should run fine but I haven't seen anything confirming this.
Re:Android compatibility by Radak · 2014-02-23 08:13 · Score: 1

I haven't tried a whole lot of games yet, as I don't often play games on my phone. The only "large" games I've tried are a few of the Angry Birds games, all of which worked fine. If there's something specific (and free) you'd like me to test for you, let me know and I'll check it out.