Finnish startup Jolla, the company formed by a group of ex-Nokia employees, unveiled its first smartphone, which runs on a new operating system Sailfish.
Sailfish, a Linux-based mobile operating system, has been built from the Nokia's ditched MeeGo platform. Nokia had dumped MeeGo OS and adopted Microsoft's Windows platform in 2011 after it fell far behind Apple's iOS products and devices running on Google's Android platform.
The new smartphone, which as of now is called Jolla, has a 4.5-inch display screen, an 8-megapixel camera, a dual-core processor, and an onboard storage of 16GB which is expandable with a micro SD card. The device is priced at 399 euro and is due to be shipped by the year-end.
One striking feature of Jolla is that it is compatible with Android applications. That means users will be able to run Android apps on their Jolla phone in addition to the Sailfish apps. The availability of Android apps might work in Jolla's way when it enters a market crowded with several operating systems.
Now "The Other Half." The smartphone has a colored backpanel that is interchangeable. The phone's user interface and software will change when a different backpanel is snapped on. The Other Half can be used to add features, change the look, color and personalize the phone.
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