Skip to main content

First Jolla smartphone up for pre-order, ready to set sail before the end of the year (Updated with more specs)

Jolla PhoneJolla, the Finnish startup breathing new life into MeeGo, has announced its first smartphone, named the, um, Jolla. The company has been heavily promoting today’s launch event – primarily using the hashtag #JollaLoveDay – on Twitter and Facebook, and it will be holding a media event later today, where we expect to hear more about the phone, the software, and the company’s plans.

In the meantime, we’ve been given a good look at the device and its specifications, plus information on pre-orders and its price. The Jolla phone has a 4.5-inch touchscreen, but the resolution is unknown, however we’d not be surprised to see it being the same as the Nokia Lumia 920 at 1280 x 768. A dual-core processor will power the device, although it’s not stated which chip this will be, and there is an 8-megapixel camera on the rear panel.

It’s this rear panel Jolla was talking about in its teaser video, and sadly not a QWERTY keyboard, as it can be removed and swapped for one of a different color. The clever part here, is that the operating system changes its base color, along with everything from fonts to ringtones, to those which match that of your new Other Half. Underneath the rear panel is a removable battery – an unusual addition on a modern smartphone.

Inside the Jolla has 16GB of user memory, plus a microSD card slot, and the device is expected to connect to 4G networks. The real draw of the Jolla phone is its Sailfish OS, which has evolved from MeeGo, the operating system abandoned by Nokia in 2011. So far, we’ve only had a short preview of the gesture-intensive software, so we’re hoping to see more during today’s event.

Kickstarter-like pre-order options

If you’re excited about Jolla and Sailfish OS, you can pre-order the phone today from Jolla itself. The phone has been priced at 400 euros, which is around $500, and is expected to be released closer to the end of the year. An early rumor suggested we’d see a Kickstarter-like pre-order campaign, and sure enough it is something a little different. Anyone can register and receive a personal pre-order number to buy one of the first Jolla phones on sale, but if you spend 40 euros ($50), then you get a priority pre-order number for a limited edition phone, and a special Jolla t-shirt. Shell out 100 euros ($130), and you’ll get the limited edition phone, one Other Half rear cover, and the t-shirt; but this is only for European customers.

Initially, Jolla is targeting Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Italy and the UK, but is opening up the 40 euro and zero cost options to the world, so if you don’t live in any of those countries but would like a phone, make an order and Jolla will consider adding it to the list. While the U.S. isn’t mentioned, an extensive European release is good news; as early on, it looked like Jolla would only be releasing the phone in Finland and China.

Finally, Jolla’s pre-orders are in limited supply, so if you want to among the first to own the phone, then it would be best not to hang around. We’ll bring you more news on Jolla during the event later today.

Updated on 05/27/2013 at 06:30am by Andy: In addition to the details laid out above, GSMArena.com has confirmed some more of the Jolla’s features. It has a 3G/4G LTE radio, Wi-Fi b/g/n connectivity, Bluetooth 3.0 and NFC, plus the 8-megapixel camera has autofocus, face recognition, an LED flash, and can record 1080p video at 30fps. There’s also a video call camera lens above the screen. As for the processor type and the screen resolution, both these are still unknown, mainly because Jolla isn’t sure itself. Jolla told Pocketnow.com it would provide the final details closer to the phone’s release, as it’s still in the process of choosing supply partners, however it is committed to the 4.5-inch screen size and dual-core chip.

Article originally published on 05/20/2013.

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Visible just made its unlimited 5G plan better than ever
Visible wireless phones and plans featured

Digital wireless service provider Visible has announced upgrades to its premium Visible+ phone plan. The highlight is a new Global Pass feature that allows Visible customers to use their phones in 140 countries worldwide.

The Visible Global Pass offers unlimited talk and text services, along with 2GB of high-speed data, for a flat rate of $10 per day. Visible+ members can also enjoy a free Global Pass usage day every month. The activation process can be done through the Visible app.

Read more
The OnePlus Watch 2 is the Wear OS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for
Person wearing OnePlus Watch 2 with a green strap on their left wrist.

The OnePlus Watch 2 -- the company's first Wear OS watch -- has entered a market that Samsung dominates. However, OnePlus' popularity as a smartphone brand can be expected to bring small, yet meaningful changes that benefit not only OnePlus users, but all of the Wear OS segment in general.

For almost a decade, Samsung and Apple have predominantly been the default options if you want a smartwatch that is actually useful and goes beyond flashy features. With Samsung shifting gears and migrating from its own Tizen OS to the (relatively) more universal Wear OS platform and Google releasing its own Pixel Watch after struggling with an identity crisis in the smartwatch world, the platform has much more traction than it did a few years ago. As OnePlus carves its way into the segment, it has the opportunity to entice people who don't wish to live within Samsung's limitations when using a Galaxy Watch with another brand's phone.

Read more
Buying an iPad Mini today? You need to know about this deal
The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.

If you've had an eye on iPad deals for the latest model of the Apple iPad Mini for a while now, this may be the offer that you've been waiting for -- a $100 discount from Best Buy on the tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, slashing its price to $400 from $500. It's still pretty popular years after its release, so we don't expect stocks of the device for this sale to last long. If you're thinking about taking advantage of this bargain, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad Mini 2021
The latest generation of the Apple iPad Mini was released in 2021, but it's still featured in our roundup of the best iPads because it's the model that you should buy if you want a smaller and more compact version of Apple's tablets. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is smaller than the screens of its peers, but it's still big enough to enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing websites, while allowing you to use the device with one hand. Unlike its predecessor, there's no Home button, so the Touch ID sensor is instead built into the power button at the side of the Apple iPad Mini 2021.

Read more