Jolla Phone (October 2026)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Hardware, “Assembled in Finland”, and Design

  • “Assembled in Finland” sparks debate: some distinguish legal terms “assembled in” vs “packaged in,” but it’s unclear how much is done in Finland vs pre‑assembled abroad.
  • Guesses range from full PCB assembly to just adding battery/case, flashing software, and packaging; no definitive technical breakdown is provided.
  • Mediatek Dimensity 7100 is seen as a mid‑range SoC; some find it hard to take seriously at this price, others note it’s comparable to ~$300 Android phones.
  • Several consider the price (€700–750) high given hardware, especially vs Pixels, Fairphone, Librem 5, Pinephone, and Commodore’s upcoming devices.
  • Design critiques include the large camera bump and lack of headphone jack (despite marketing images with wired earbuds).

SailfishOS vs Android/GrapheneOS and Security

  • SailfishOS is praised for being “real Linux” (glibc, /etc config, Wayland, normal IPC) and feeling like a portable Unix system.
  • Others argue desktop‑style Linux security is ill‑suited to running untrusted mobile apps; Android/GrapheneOS are seen as far more robust for sandboxing and exploit resistance.
  • Sailfish’s sandboxing (sailjail) is criticized as weak by some; others say threat models differ: Sailfish as better against “big player profiling,” Android/GrapheneOS against app‑level profiling.
  • Sailfish includes an Android compatibility layer (Alien Dalvik), but compatibility and security are considered weaker than running Android natively.

Openness and Governance

  • Multiple comments note Sailfish has significant closed‑source components (UI, core apps). AOSP/GrapheneOS are described as more fully open modulo hardware blobs.
  • Jolla is slowly open‑sourcing more pieces, but a fully FOSS Sailfish build is still not possible; a fully FOSS Android build is.
  • Some view a third mobile OS as valuable regardless, to counter the US‑based duopoly.

Russian Ties and Trust

  • Discussion recalls past Russian state‑linked investment (Rostelecom) and BRICS‑focused ambitions; others point out Jolla later cut ties and moved IP/employees out.
  • Opinions diverge: for some, any past Russian connection is a permanent deal‑breaker; others label that view as FUD or geopolitically motivated hostility.

User Experience, Apps, and Daily Driving

  • Experiences with earlier Jolla phones are mixed: some used them for many years and were satisfied; others report broken promises (Android app support), poor polish, and no support.
  • Interface opinions vary: some dislike the gesture‑heavy Sailfish UI and eventually moved to iOS or GrapheneOS; others enjoy the Linux‑like environment and multi‑user capability.
  • App ecosystem and especially banking apps/2FA are seen as major blockers for adoption. Some report specific banks working; others rely on a secondary Android/iOS device or SMS/Yubikey.
  • Concerns are raised about preorder risk, cancellation handling, and a community perceived by some as hostile to criticism.