Jolla launches The First One, the first Sailfish OS smartphone

Nokia may be on its way to Microsoft as we speak, with the $8 billion acquisition almost settled and ready to be finished up sometime in the next few months, but Jolla, created by ex-MeeGo workers, have released their first smartphone this week.

Named ‘The First One’, Jolla hopes to get a bit of attention with their new mobile platform. Similar to Apple and Nokia for a time, Jolla has built both the hardware and the software in house, adding emulation for Android applications to buff the store size up.

On the hardware side, The First One brings a mid-range smartphone to the floor. The design of the device is similar to the Xperia or Lumia line of devices, no rounded corners and variations of color available.

Inside the device is a 4.5-inch display, 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 8MP rear camera, 2100mAh battery, WiFi a/b/g/n, LTE and Bluetooth 4.0. This is all above board and reminds us of almost every Windows Phone six months ago.

Where Jolla’s phone really becomes unique is the software, this is the first phone running Sailfish OS, their in-house operating system for mobile, built of the back of the failed MeeGo project Nokia worked on for a few years, before jumping onto Windows Phone.

Sailfish OS is unique and brings yet another comprehensive look on how a mobile operating system should work, but we cannot see it bringing any major change in the market against Android or iOS, at least until Jolla gets their phone on carriers in the US and Asia.

Jolla are selling The First One for $540, or €399, or £332 unlocked – this is a little under the regular price for a flagship launch, normally the price would be $599 – 699 depending on the brand.

The First One is an impressive looking device but we should wait until reviews come in on the device before deciding if it is worth the pickup. Sailfish OS is exciting but at the same time limited in its scope compared to iOS, Android or even Windows Phone.