Jolla reveals Jolla Mind², an AI assistant

Although I wasn’t that happy with HMD not taking a booth at MWC2024, no matter how big it was, many companies took a similar approach at this year’s event. When I say many, I mean some serious smartphone players like vivo and OnePlus, and some others too.

These companies rented space or booked a hotel room to do meetings during the MWC since all the significant partners for their business are probably in Barcelona. Jolla took the same approach and did its meetings with the press and partners in hotels.

Now, Jolla didn’t show a new phone but did present a gadget that might be significant in the near future. After doing various spins to become competent for doing business in the Western market, Jolla divided itself into several parts: a part that develops automotive software, a part that runs Sailfish, and a part that will try to change the way we use AI.

Folks from Jolla presented a small black box to TechCrunch in the lobby of a hotel in Barcelona. The gadget is specifically designed to work with rather popular AI and try to make it as private and secure as possible. This black box is intended as a private-cloud-cum-AI-router that provides a playground for running AI queries. It should be the personal server concept but reconfigured for the generative AI age. Since putting AI into your phone might pose some risks, this box should do it for you.

It is a bit of a misty concept for me, but TechCrunch did a nice piece describing the device’s potential in detail. Jolla calls this prototype Jolla Mind² and it should be a digital assistant of the future. Jolla plans to announce it soon on May 20, and the market should see it sometime in Q4 2024.