The Jolla Phone from Finland wants to revolutionize the cell phone market: With SailfishOS Linux, replaceable battery and privacy switch for full data control without the need for the cloud. We tried it.
The Finnish company Jolla showed its new “Jolla Phone” at MWC 2026 in Barcelona. It presents itself as Europe’s only smartphone with its own Linux-based operating system “SailfishOS”. The open source operating system is customized and compiled by Jolla itself in Finland. The final assembly of the smartphone itself also takes place in Finland. More precisely in Salo, the former Nokia location.
In just three months, Jolla has already recorded over 10,000 pre-orders, underscoring the demand for privacy-focused technology. Those who pre-order pay in Jolla-owned store 99 euros in advance on the device price of currently 649 euros, so that Jolla can record secure sales before the market launch. The next pre-orders are currently scheduled to be delivered in September 2026.
Jolla Phone impresses with its modular back
What is special about the Jolla Phone is not just its production or the high demand. The back cover can be easily removed without tools and reveals the 5,450 mAh battery, which even inexperienced users can replace in under a minute. We were able to see this for ourselves at the MWC.
The modular design serves as a stark contrast to sealed smartphones, highlighting Jolla’s focus on sustainability and longevity. There are also pins in the housing for future expansions, such as dedicated hardware modules or diagnostic tools.
More independence and data protection for Europe
Sami Pienimäki, CEO of Jolla, sees “smartphone operating systems as critical infrastructure,” he tells us during our stand visit. The issue also has a political dimension. There is a lot of talk about Europe’s independence from US or Chinese technologies and the Jolla Phone is a concrete result of these efforts. However, Jolla currently does not receive any funding from EU projects. More support in this sense would be extremely desirable.
The first customers come primarily from Germany, followed by Finland itself. Pienimäki concludes from this that there is a particularly strong sensitivity to data protection. The Jolla Phone ultimately gives users full control over the phone and data – without mandatory cloud use or account creation. The SailfishOS operating system does not send background data and does not contain any hidden analyses. It is open source and is customized and compiled by Jolla itself in Finland. There is also a physical privacy switch on the device itself: This blocks the microphone, camera and sensors for an additional feeling of data security.
Android compatibility only for experienced users
In addition to free app stores such as the Aurora Store, Google Play apps run thanks to Jolla’s Android Runtime (currently for Android 16) easily. As an open source alternative to Google Play Services, MicroG replaces proprietary services without tracking or bloatware.
Anyone who had a question mark in their head when reading the lines will realize that a certain amount of technical know-how is definitely required so that you can use the Jolla Phone outside of Google’s or Apple’s app stores. Everyday apps like WhatsApp or social media also work without adjustments. Only more specific cases or banking apps could require individual know-how to install.
CHIP at MWC 2026 in Barcelona
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