I've had the Jolla phone since January. I'm very happy with the device - the UI is great, it runs Android apps well, has a full Linux environment. The phone itself also looks really smart (IMHO)

I had some brief issues with the phone spontaneously rebooting, which was solved by wedging a piece of paper at the back of the battery so it made a better connection with the contacts. Such are the joys of buying a first gen device I guess...

I've had mine now for a few months. Everything works great with it. The UI is smooth and the touch-only navigation feels very natural once you get in to it.

One downside is there is no way to monetize your apps from the Jolla appstore, I think this might be holding back a few people from making apps.

I'm also very happy on how easy it is to connect to the computer. Plug in the USB, and I can have it show up as an MTP device, or RNDIS. Using it as RNDIS I can just login to it via ssh and run any commands like any other linux.

By far the best developer phone out there.

Most importantly software development for it is pure joy compared to the cesspool that is Android development. Just copy a binary to the device and it runs. No need to mess around with APK's and manifests and whatnot. Perfect for just trying things out.

I have a Jolla phone. I ordered one during the pre-order period after my N9 suicide-dived out of my backpack and had an unlucky meeting with the floor.

Similar state as the N9: nice interface, some good UI ideas, semi-open Linux based OS, minimal applications available and not many features in the basic ones included with the OS. Battery life is similar to my N9, about 5-6 days – I'm not a phone junkie; I use the calendar, alarm and music player (about 1 hour of music per day), and email/browser in case of emergency; WLAN internet only, no automatic remote checking, no non-Jolla applications installed (so far).

I like the phone; it's stable and the basic functionality is there and that's all I really use. I prefer open-source and as free as possible systems, and I've been able to import/export data from the N9 and Jolla and make minor changes using their terminal applications as you can just access them as any other Linux system.

If you are a mainstream user wanting to install lots of mainstreams apps, are a spec junkie or want to have the latest and greatest gadget, Jolla probably shouldn't be your first choice. But if you like open-source and the freedom to actually do things with the system, I feel it is a good choice.

Plus, it's not another iOS or Android device... It's good there are alternative options.

I have Jolla phone and I have mixed feelings about it. Sailfish OS is interesting - learning how to use it has steep learning curve (but once you get used to it, it's perhaps faster to do something with it than on any other phone). It is sometimes unreliable (my Jolla randomly shuts down, sometimes several times in a row, see https://together.jolla.com/question/7144/jolla-randomly-shut...). There are other quirks here and there, guys from Jolla are fixing them one after another, but I would say that Sailfish OS is still in beta state.

It is really developer friendly device. It has awesome SDK and it isn't trying to restrict you by any means. But even that, there are not really that many applications for Sailfish OS and only few of them are good. And there is literally no official client for anything and that brings problems - for example, several people were banned from WhatsApp for using Mitakuuluu (WhatsApp client for Sailfish OS). There isn't full-featured Facebook client, there isn't client for my bank account or for my operator. App for public transport for your country? Nope, it isn't there. Sure, you can use Android apps (not from Google Play though, you have to use Yandex store or Amazon store), but: 1) There are no Google Play Services - that means no integration with Google Account, no maps, no that pretty cool Google Inbox app, Google is moving a lot of things into Google Play Services, 2) there will be problems with any non-trivial app. Games are OK, but GPS tracking? Didn't work when app wasn't active (so you have to have screen on). Wanted to try Pressy? Doesn't work, it wants to access your Google account. Besides, if you are buying this device convicted that you will use Android apps on it, why not buy Android phone?

To end this comment with something positive, I could say that this is "OK" device. It is impressive that they are able to build this device with that small team. They are listening to community, they are updating their OS frequently. Besides some quirks, Sailfish OS is as good as any other mobile phone OS. It runs fast and it is based on Linux, Qt5 and even Wayland compositor. You can be more confident that you are not being watched (at least they say). Your inner geek will be pleased. But at the end of the day, you will look at other people phones, they are playing that new cool game, using that new cool app you always wanted to try, trying that new HN or Reddit client, using Google Inbox, using Instagram Hyperlapse, using their expensive gadgets, fitness trackers, using their phones to find how will they get home and your phone has just suddenly rebooted again.

> App for public transport for your country? Nope, it isn't there.

Except, of course, for Finland: https://openrepos.net/content/w01w13/reitti

And for Dublin: http://www.softwareontheside.info/2014/03/sailbus-dublin.htm...

One of the city bike apps also supports Dublin along with a lot of other cities in Europe.

And for many other countries: http://fahrplan.smurfy.de/

But if the only 3rd party apps I have installed on my Google-less, CyanogenMod'd Nexus are Firefox and VLC, there's a good chance I might like it?

I use Firefox on Jolla (because default browser sucks).

Can't you install Android apps on it?

> ..you can use Android apps (not from Google Play), but: 1) There are no Google Play Services, 2) there will be problems with any non-trivial app. Besides, if you are buying this device convicted that you will use Android apps on it, why not buy Android phone?

Yep, I generally use the amazon app store on mine since it's reputable and has the main android apps I want e.g. Netflix, Shazam ...

I don't see how the video is "generic": didn't you notice that the founder has only one full-sized arm? When was the last time that Samsung or Apple put differently-abled people in their ads? I think their ad is great for showing a refreshing diversity of people and (potential) interactions. There's a UX lesson in there too.

> Does anyone here use a Jolla device?

I’m still waiting for a high-end second generation version. From the various forums, there are/have been some minor bugs and I’m somewhat annoyed that they went for RPM instead of sticking to dpkg from the N9, but otherwise it seems a sensible approach to a mobile phone without the usual issues with Google/Apple.

AFAIK, the switch to RPM happened when Nokia was still in the game, as part of their joint agreement with Intel that transformed Maemo into Meego (which is now Jolla). Intel's own "linux for phones" project was based on RPM; the idea was that Intel would have brought better OS internals, and Nokia would have provided a better UI, playing to the strengths of both projects.

By then the development of N9 was already at an advanced status, so it didn't switch to Intel-provided internals; the N9 is basically the last Maemo device, and everything Jolla did afterwards is the Meego we would have seen if not for Elop's self-sabotage.

Still have some minor bugs. My Jolla just showed me the gesture tutorial o_O

How do they archive the Android compatibility ? Have they used Dalvik ?

Also how is the performance of this compatibility layer ?

They are using product called "Alien Dalvik" (http://www.myriadgroup.com/products/device-solutions/mobile-...). And performance is not bad, you can play 3D games on it.

Huh, how comes they claim "We believe in privacy" and then use a closed-source product instead of the Apache-licensed Dalvik?

"There are no back doors or anything third parties could use for monitoring your activity. Together with the open source community, we’re continuing to strengthen our privacy capabilities at every opportunity."

It would be interesting to know, as you say, why they don't just use Dalvik directly.

How do you install apps on it, can you get the Play Store?

Ever seen this: http://apps.evozi.com/apk-downloader/ ?

Officially, you are not able/allowed to install the Play Store. In practice, it can be installed easily and it works fine.

You can use other App stores like the Amazon app store or Aptoid.

They use a proprietary Android compatibility layer, basically a clean room Dalvik re-implementation.

It's not a re-implementation, just a port. Dalvik is licensed under Apache License 2.0 which allows proprietary derivatives.