Jolla shows first working Sailfish OS phone
After a long development period, Jolla has finally shown something many fans have been waiting for: the first fully functioning samples of its upcoming smartphone. The company confirmed on social media that the phone is now booting successfully. According to Jolla, the latest prototypes include real mechanics, electronics, the system-on-chip, modem and a user-replaceable battery — essentially everything needed for a complete device.
Jolla also revealed that a two-day internal hackday was organised in Tampere to bring all the pieces together. The result: the phone now boots into Sailfish OS and displays the familiar Sailfish user interface. This milestone confirms that the project has moved beyond concept and early design stages and into real, working hardware.
Under the hood, the device is based on a MediaTek Dimensity 7100 (MT6858) 5G platform. Jolla is pairing the chipset with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, which can be expanded via microSDXC. A 6.36-inch FullHD+ AMOLED display is listed, along with a 50MP main camera, 13MP ultrawide camera and a front-facing wide-angle selfie camera.
One of the key selling points remains the user-replaceable battery, rated at approximately 5,500mAh, as well as a physical Privacy Switch that allows users to disable selected functions such as microphone, Bluetooth or Android app support.
Jolla is also bringing back its modular “The Other Half” concept, enabling hardware add-ons through a pogo-pin connector on the back of the phone. If enough pre-orders are reached, Jolla plans to open this interface fully to the community.
Pre-orders are already well underway. Batch #1 and Batch #2 are sold out, while Batch #3 is currently open. Buyers can reserve a phone with a refundable 99 € voucher, which is deducted from the final price. The special locked price for Batch #3 is 579 € including local VAT, while the expected regular retail price will be between 599 € and 699 €.
Delivery of the first batch is currently estimated for the first half of 2026.
For a smartphone market dominated by Android and iOS, Jolla continues to push a different vision: a European, privacy-focused Linux phone with long-term software support and real user control.
On a personal note, seeing Jolla share these photos and updates brings back memories. I still remember visiting Mobile World Congress 2014 and checking out the original Jolla Phone for the first time. It is great to see that, more than a decade later, Jolla is once again showing real, working hardware.
