loading . . . Late last year Jolla began taking pre-orders for a new smartphone powered by the company’s Sailfish OS software. Now the Finnish company has announced that after receiving over 10,000 pre-orders, it’s preparing to produce its first batch of new **Jolla Phones** during the second quarter of 2026.
Jolla has also launched a second round of pre-orders for folks who didn’t get in on the first round. Customers in Europe can pre-order the €649 phone by making a €99 down payment, with the balance due before the phone ships in September. But only 1,000 units will be available as part of this “limited batch.”
In terms of hardware, the Jolla Phone has mid-range specs plus a few special features including a user-replaceable battery, swappable back covers, and a physical privacy switch that lets you quickly disable the phone’s microphone, camera, Bluetooth, or other features.
The privacy switch is a software-defined feature rather than hardware though, which means that while it’s user-customizable, it’s also not _quite_ as secure as hardware kill switches that physically disconnect the electronics that allow your camera, mic, or wireless hardware to work.
What really sets the Jolla Phone apart from most other smartphones though, is its software. Sailfish OS is a Linux-based operating system with a proprietary user interface and an “AppSupport” feature that lets you install and run some Android apps.
Jolla positions the phone as a device that uses “a European operating system” that respects user privacy because it doesn’t require a Google account and doesn’t send your data to big tech companies by default.
The phone has a 6.36 inch FHD+ AMOLED display, a MediaTek Dimensity 7100 processor, 256GB of storage and 8GB or 12GB of RAM. It has a microSD card for removable storage, a 5,450 mAh battery, and 50MP primary + 13MP ultra-wide cameras plus a 32MP front-facing camera.
Wireless capabilities include support for 5G NR cellular networks as well as 4G LTE, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and NFC. There’s a fingerprint sensor in the power button.
Another distinctive feature is support for modular back covers that not only change the color of the phone, but also add functionality. Jolla calls this system “The Other Half,” and announced plans to revive the platform that it had established for older phones if at least 10,000 new Jolla Phones were pre-ordered. Since that goal has been reached, it looks like that may actually happen.
Jolla has been soliciting feedback on potential The Other Half add-ons in its user forum. Some top contenders (in terms of popularity, anyway) include add-ons that could add features like keyboards, stylus adapters, or additional displays (such as E Ink or small OLED screens). But other possibilities include modules that could bring support for extra batteries, additional wireless communication standards (such as Zigbee or LoRa,) high-quality digital to analog audio converters, heat cameras, temperature and air quality sensors, and more.
The company hasn’t announced pricing or availability for any The Other Half modules yet though.
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