Jolla launches privacy-focused Linux phone with physical privacy switch
run on Sailfish OS 5
Finnish technology company Jolla launched pre-orders on December 5 for its first new smartphone in years, positioning the device as "Europe's independent Do It Together (DIT) Linux phone" in a market dominated by Android and iOS. The announcement comes as European interest in privacy-focused alternatives to mainstream mobile operating systems continues to grow.
The Jolla Phone runs Sailfish OS 5, which the company describes as "the only commercially viable European mobile OS". According to Jolla's announcement on X, the company was formed from Nokia's MeeGo team after Nokia abandoned the project in 2011. As of December 6, the device has received over 1,200 pre-orders, more than halfway to the 2,000-unit threshold required to begin production by the January 4, 2026 deadline.
Specifications
The device features a 6.36-inch FullHD AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass protection, a high-performance MediaTek 5G processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage expandable to 2TB via microSD card. The phone includes a 50MP main camera paired with a 13MP ultrawide lens, dual nano-SIM support, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
A physical privacy switch allows users to disable the microphone, camera, Bluetooth, and other components. The 5,500 mAh battery is user-replaceable, as is the back cover, which will be available in three colors: Snow White, Kaamos Black, and The Orange. Jolla guarantees a minimum of five years of OS updates.
Sailfish OS 5 supports Android applications through Jolla AppSupport while allowing users to "fully de-Google" their devices. The operating system emphasizes privacy with no tracking, no telemetry, and encrypted data storage.
The phone will be available in the EU, UK, Norway, and Switzerland, with deliveries estimated by the end of the first half of 2026. Early backers will receive a special edition back cover. Jolla's forum discussions indicate the company worked with its community throughout the autumn to finalize specifications, including display size and other design elements.
https://commerce.jolla.com/products/jolla-phone-preorder
After a long silence in X, @JollaHQ is back. And we're bringing something Europe desperately needs.
— Jolla (@JollaHQ) December 5, 2025
The Jolla Phone: Europe's independent smartphone running #SailfishOS 5.
In 2013, when we founded Jolla from @nokia MeeGo’s ashes, people called us naive. "You can't compete with… pic.twitter.com/A4YV2bQA6s