The first one is always the first one. Most Sailfish fans remember the first ever device to run Sailfish OS, the original Jolla phone, or Jolla 1 as we sometimes like to call it. This device, a trailblazer in its own field at the time, was first launched exactly seven years ago. HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jolla phone!
Launching the Jolla smartphone back in 2013 was a truly memorable event for many of us in the Jolla team, but also for the hundreds of fans queuing to get their hands on the first ever Sailfish device. For me, as one of the founders of Jolla, launching this iconic device was undoubtedly one of the most exciting moments in my life, which I’ll always remember. I trust many others share the same feeling with me.
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- The original Jolla phone sales pack with the limited-to-500-edition The Other Half cover named “The First One”. The sales pack features real clips of Sailfish OS source code.
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- The Other Half concept premiered at 2013.
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- Full page illustration in Helsingin Sanomat, the largest newspaper in Finland.
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- The Jolla phone launch queue forming up in the rainy day of November 27, 2013 in Narinkkatori, Helsinki.
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- The Jolla phone launch opening bell together with exclusive launch partner cellular operator DNA.
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- The Jolla founders together with The Very First One customer Henri Huttunen and angel investor Mr. Steve Lau.
Well-deserved retirement plan for the Jolla phone
After so many years, the time has come to activate retirement plans for the good-old Jolla phone. Thus, we have decided to start the ramp-down of supporting for it. We are very proud to have supported the original Jolla smartphone with a total of 34 software updates during its well-served lifetime of seven years! While the latest Sailfish OS software update (3.4.0, Pallas-Yllästunturi) will remain the last officially supported software release for the original Jolla phone from 2013, we will continue to provide Jolla store access for it for the time being.
For our tech-oriented readers, there are also several technical reasons why we need to discontinue future updates for Jolla 1, such as:
- Jolla 1 has the oldest Android App Support implementation, which cannot be updated to a newer one due to architectural limitations.
- The device is also now the only one with the (very) old 3.4 kernel, which is blocking us from utilizing features from newer kernels and making it impractical to provide e.g. certain security updates
- Jolla 1 is using the (very) old BlueZ 4 Bluetooth stack, which has also become impractical to maintain
Comparing this 7 years – which in today’s mobile technology era feels like an eternity – to a typical smartphone’s lifespan, it certainly is a well-deserved time for the retirement of our dear Jolla 1 phone.
What next?
Sailfish OS continues to go from strength to strength as the only alternative mobile OS in the otherwise duopoly market. While Jolla has a strong business focus on corporate and governmental customers and projects, we also strive all the time to make Sailfish OS better and better for all of us, in collaboration with our community, and also through our Sailfish X community device program.
Sailfish X also continues to grow and our developer community is porting Sailfish OS to newer devices all the time. We encourage users of the original Jolla smartphone to try out e.g. one of the supported Sony Xperia devices to get the latest Sailfish OS experience and software releases in full.
Further, we have been working in good collaboration with our active community of porters (thanks all!), and thanks to that there is a new Sailfish OS reference port coming together nicely that will enable Sailfish OS support for new 64-bit and Android 10 driver based devices – stay tuned for more on that soon!
Your Jolla captain,
Sami
Great statement!
Thank you for Jolla 1 and for the SailfishOS.
JP-1301 will remain in my gadget museum, together with N900 and N9!
I wish you 7 mire exciting years – and nice sw updates for us, all!
there are feature.we are waiting for, so no worries about having no task to complete! 😉
Well deserved retirement for the old buddy! Still have one with an assortment of back covers.
Does the retirement of Jolla 1 also means the retirement of the tablet, as it uses similar old Android runtime (though x86)?
Refund for tablets seems already retired 🙂
I’m talking about the real 500 shipped tablets. 🙂
Still waiting for either the tablet or the refund to arrive.
It’s the right time to say farewell, isn’t it? I really try to keep using my original Jolla Phone as a proof that smartphones *can* be that old an still be useful, but the shiny new Xperia has long taken its place as my real daily driver. Thanks, Jolla, for taking this decision so I don’t have to. 🙂
Sad news, but I fully understand.
The support and longevity of Jolla First One must be a world record -congratulations, maybe you can get Guinness to recognize your efforts… 😉
Waiting for the Second One as I believe open HW is becoming an increasingly critical component of a secure communications infrasteucture in this day and age…
goid idea! if stupid bucjet challenge could go viral, they could.challenge publicly Apple and main Android device vendors about who is the daddy?! 😉
they could.grab some visibility and media presence…
on the other hand it could be the proof of what is working, sustainable, environment friendly model: ‘mobile os is for fee’ or ‘pay a small fee’ and.your.device serves you for years…
Still using this little friend for developing. Sometimes I wonder if there will be a chance to have this little form factor again…
After source funding the tablet, I bought a Jolla phone. I never received the tablet but was promised a refund. The first half came but never the promised second half. What is its status?
I think it was clear from the beginning that we were fooled about the second part of tablet refund. Same as truly open source OS. Otherwise this project would sky rocket.
Oh, come on. I do not want to read that refund crap in each an every thread. Get over it and while you are at it, learn about crowd funding. And if you were bullied at school, get over it, too. Maybe they were right. After all you have invested in a peace of hardware some years ago that turned out not to turn up.
when you’re promised your money back investing or not then you have to get them back
otherwise who ever promised you is a liar
Forget about it. Second half of tablet refund will never happen. Legally, the refund claim is probably statute-barred anyway.
A while ago it was still possible to buy Sailfish X licenses (or was it license vouchers?) for your remaining tablet refund amount. Is it still possible?
I’ve got everything back, but had to be rude. In every post I saw in LinkedIn and other social media I was calling them out to be liars
Finally they refund me
any update on tablet refunds?
I’ve got everything back, but had to be rude. In every post I saw in LinkedIn and other social media I was calling them out to be liars
Finally they refund me
This has been one great device, and a quite unique adventure I’m proud to have witnessed. I’m sad the Jolla has to retire, because I know it still had the gut for 7 more years with such a light OS, but I know it is not reasonable for other reasons, and the Jolla will forever have this unusually long lifespan to be proud of.
Those pictures and launch video brought back this souvenir of the 2013 hype at the beginning of the Jolla adventure, and what an achievement to still be a alternative OS today. I hope you’ll keep sailing for a long time and will be more agile than those two Apple and Samsung cruisers on the Helsingin Sanomat front page, when the iceberg at the horizon comes too close. Please keep on and do your best to keep and convince developers and users (Qt and wayland protocols updates, new official ports, etc.).
Hi Kabouik. Thanks for your great feedback! Even though we’re now looking back, we have a strong focus on the future – there will be great upcoming Sailfish moments too!
Jolla 1 was great and I still have it. I’m still waiting for my tablet or the refunds. Update, please.
Though I use an XA2 now (with sailfish ofcourse) and just bought an xperia 10 for my wife, starting the jolla 1 still has something magical..
All congratulations with this milestone!
I’m so glad Jolla exists and give life to the legacy of Maemo/MeeGo. I’ve still got good memories back in the days with the Nokia N900, it was the best phone I’ve ever had (by far).
I’m happy to see the spirit of this still lives forth and I hope many years to come. I’m surprised with the good news about Android 10, that can give Sailfish a boost in usability. Unfortunately, Android support is needed to improve adaptation of Sailfish, but I’d rather see we have the opportunity than no opportunity.
I hope we can meet again after 7 years and looking back on some great things and a more prosperous time.
Hey robnas!
The Sailfish spirit is very much alive! We’re all set to make new Sailfish memories 🙂
Oh. What am i going to do now? It is still my main phone, because of its size, robustness and haptics. Dropped it several times on concrete. It never failed on me. Thank you for the good time!
Maybe you could drop it a few more times? 😉
My First One was the Xperia X, since I could not lay my hands on a Jolla One but I always admired the ultra nice clean design. I would have kept mine too.
Thank you for the Jolla Phone!
To Marc Dillon, Jaakko Roppola, and all other sailors who worked hard to make it a reality.
It was a tremendous achievement at the time, and though Jolla phone did not become as successful as it deserved, it is a phone I love. Yes, Jolla phone is my favourite phone and Sailfish OS version 1.x was a work of art. Unpolished, yes, but unique and so fresh!
I wish Jolla all the best.
Thank you!
Hi Flickta.
Thanks for the comment! Even though this is the end of SW updates for one Jolla device, this is not the end of Sailfish OS – on the contrary, we’re looking forward to making great new Sailfish memories.
All the best to you too!
Does this mean we will finally see 4.4 krnel for Xperia X devices? Then there are no obstacles for Android 8.1 on Xperia X devices, as they then would have the same base as all the other devices on the market. And flashing is a precondition for using SFOS, so its not a valid argument 😛
Hey Firefox84.
Unfortunately, no. Situation has not changed. This we’ve already addressed in the Sailfish X page FAQ, and it goes like this:
Support for new device options is a constant request from Sailfish X program users. Adding new devices to the Sailfish X portfolio comes with a cumulative maintenance cost. This has resulted in a decision that we won’t be upgrading the Android app support to Android 8.1 on the Xperia X, or other older generation devices like the Jolla C. We simply don’t have the necessary resources to do it justice given the older hardware and several additional HW adaptation versions needed to support them now and in future.
Maybe you could help with porting postmarketOS on it?
Bad news. I’m still using it as my only one phone. And I’m also one that should have to receive the second half tablet refund. Maybe this could be the occasion to receive a special price to move to Sailfish x. But now, what could be the best choice to continue to use Saifish among Sony Xperia phones?
Exchanging your remaining tablet refund amount into Jolla shop vouchers (49,90 or 29,90€) still seems to be possible. Just found the Jolla email from October, 4 2017 with the personal link in it.
Jolla! Give the community the kernel sources!
I like the app sailfish-maps that is shipped with the Jolla1. Other devices do not have access via store to this application. Will this app be lifted up to the other devices?
No but we have much better now, thanks to Rinigus 🙂 https://openrepos.net/content/rinigus/pure-maps
Thank you for this post! Thank you for reminding us that it’s indeed Jolla 1’s birthday!! Wow, so much excitation on this Christmas 2013 and so many memories are coming back!! ☺ I remember receiving my Jolla the 22 or 23rd of December, registering to together.jolla.com on Dec. 24 in the train on my way to my family, and then spending most of my holidays testing and playing with this amazing toy 🙂
What you delivered that day was AWESOME,.. too awesome actually, it created so much hope and expectations that we have become too impatient and sometimes disappointed along the way. Sorry for that, but in the end we love Sailfish and we are glad that you’ve managed to make your way in this competitive business.
I really miss that time when all the historical core team was communicating with us regularly through blog posts or on TJC.
Congrats to those sailors that are here since the beginning, please don’t give up, what you did so far is marvelous and probably a world record indeed! Announcing its retirement on its birthday is a perfect way to close the story, well done ❤
While I’m at it, thank you also to the community, so many talented people offering their time by passion is beautiful.
Thanks again for this post that revives so many good memories. Let’s start another 7 years of sailing!!!
Cheers from France,
Sylvain.
Almost the same story as Sthocs, but a year later. I had to buy one of the tast of the Jolla 1. It became my main phone after my Nokia E72, until last year when I ended up buying a Sony XA2. And even if sometimes we grumble for this or that bug, thank you so much Jolla for everything you have done and continue to do. My Jolla 1, even though it took some bumps, it still remains my secondary phone. It only serves me for phone calls and texts. I just stopped the AlienDalvik machine.
Hi Sylvain.
Great memories indeed, thanks for sharing yours! Let the sailing continue!
Thank. Great post.
That’s great to hear, means I’ve been using sailfish for 7 years. Recently got the iPhone 12 pro max for VR work, it’s a lovely piece of hardware but using it made me really appreciate Sailfish. The terminal access makes everything so accessible, being able to run Syncthing is game-changing, and it’s so much prettier a UI.
Great work on this project, here’s to seven more years!
Wow. Can’t believe Jolla Phone is 7 yeara old already! How time flies!
Thanks for maintaining the phone for so ridiculously long, I really hope it’s the world record! If not, make it so! 😀
I’m still going to support Jolla Phone with my apps on SFOS 3.4 and 2.2 because a few stubborn users insist on using the 2.2 release. I see the devices rocking for a long time still, and the community will keep it alive!
Having said that… My XA2s are breaking down, and I’m really looking forward to the next, aarch64 device! 😀
7 years is really impressive! My Jolla 1 stopped working a few month ago. That a sustainable path is not possible anymore with Sony devices. Just think about the not replacable battery!
Jolla@Fairphone is the ultimate path to go to really head for a sustainable future! Please work hard for officially bringing SFOS to the Fairphone!
I replaced my Jolla 1 about 2 years ago (with an Xperia device), I think, because the hardware simply broke bit by bit. I still have fond memories of it, but I don’t use it as a phone anymore. I really appreciate that you supported it for that long and it gave me and a lot of others fond memories.
I remember on my first day in university, my mentor actually used a Jolla too and we immediately had something to talk about!
Thank you so much for the long support and I hope the other devices will be supported for a similar amount of time. Thank you for everything you did and do.
A happy Sailfish user.
PS: The original trailer is still awesome, but you should make a follow up trailer with the UI updates, multiple new devices in different form factors, but keeping the charm of the cute backgrounds and stuff!
I have been there standing by you since the day one.. However never received the other half of the Jolla tablet either. I feel so heavily let down by the sailors I trusted. We all know it is not about Jolla not having the money as you have been getting new staff. If you cared about us you would pay us back the money you owe.
How much to make yo u stop repeating that on and on and on? The only reason to stop using SF is this bunch of cry babies that do not get over a piece of hardware years ago.
How about .. the other half ?
It’s that simple.
Hey if you like to pay for hardware that you never receive please buy some hardware from me!
I promise you will get it (be aware this is the same promise Jolla made years ago).
Come on man, calling people who believed in the Jolla cause and thrusted it with their money cry babies ?
You should be ashamed of yourself, just as the MT of Jolla !
Quite unfortunate news.
I still use it as my primar^Wonly phone since I had no reason to change (“THE FIRST ONE” TOH, then KBDTOH until it stopped working, now the black TOH).
But now:
– No more updates.
– Only Sony devices fully supported*.
– Still not fully Open Source as promised.
So I guess at the first issue it will be the final goodbye to SailfishOS.
* Yes, I know about the Gemini PDA but Android is not supported (hence the “fully”) and if I switch to such a device, it will probably be for Debian or another Linux distro.
Speaking about troubles caused by devices stuck on outdated kernel:
Any serious plan for Jolla to officially offer support for PinePhone? (Including android apps)
As that one is supported by mainline kernel there’s less risk of getting held back by the kernel.
Still have/run two original Jollas. Many thanks to you for providing updates for such a long time <3.
While I love the compact form factor of the original Jolla I can live with Sony too; wherever SailfishOS goes I'll follow… 😉
Happy new year!
Hi, I still use my Jolla phone and would have a hard time retiring it (I know it might sound weird but it is such an iconic little thing!!). Are there plans to release a new Jolla phone anytime soon? My opinion: You should do it!! I bet that there will be enough people willing to pay for it!!
Can you update the tablet refund plan!?
I’ve got everything back, but had to be rude. In every post I saw in LinkedIn and other social media I was calling them out to be liars
Finally they refund me
What is the matter with you not giving any update?
@Sami Pienimäki can you do me a favor and check how many “Sailors” of the first hour are still waiting on the refund.
You kept silent hoping we (supporters of the first hour) would fade away as time was passing.
Well surprise surprise this is not happening.
The way you treated us is like mushrooms .. kept in the dark and fed by sh*t.
How about taking responsibility, be a man be honest and solve this issue by honoring the tablet supporters with a full refund plus interest !
My first one is still here, some problems with screen and not in active use in years.
After couple of years break I will came back to the ship with Xperia 10. Actually my 14 year old son saw some sailfish videos and he want to get one. Why not 😉 Prepare Jolla yourself next generation of geeks is coming to you. 😀
Quit wining about the refund already! -backing a crowd funded project means taking a risk, just accept that.
Jolla already did more than expected with the partial refunds. Hats off for doing that while trying to stay afloat and continuing with the OS and support in what must have been very difficult times 🙂
If you count how many hours you have wasted whining and complaining you can see that you already lost more money in that compared to the money you lost on the tablet… 😉
Dude .. if Jolla had the balls to be honest!
They promised! Not once but multiple times .. the tablet will be late but I guarantee it, a quote of the Jolla CEO.
If you make promises you do not keep, people will remind you.
As your word is worthless if you make false promises.
So backers are not wining about crowdfunding, Jolla told us you will get your tablet.
Later they changed we will give you a full refund we promise.
They also could told all backers their money has been spend differently no refund have a nice day.
Jolla choose differently and made promises.
See the difference here ?
Probably not, but people who do understand what honesty and transparency is will.
Being true and honest is a great good in this world and I will not bend for people who thing differently.
In the end .. they will pay the bill some way.
By the way, you might considder changing your name as Fair does not really justice to what you are preaching here.
If I may do a recommendation FalseFish or unfairfish
While I agree that Jolla should put you and other whiners out of their misery by stating officially that no further refunds will be paid, in all fairness, you should also be honest to yourself and realize and accept the fact that you didn’t purchase the tablet in a retail store but actually backed a crowd funded project with the risk of losing your investment included.
Otherwise you might consider changing your name to “Maikel needs a reality check”… 😉
Your logic isn’t sound. THEY had promised FULL refund to all that wouldn’t be able to buy the tablet
THEY didn’t say some will get the tablet, some will get full refund, some will get half refund and some will be f***ed up and get nothing.
Where I come from a promise is a promise. I believed in them that’s why I invested in them and got the phone, the same for the tablet. I understood I might not get the tablet but was promised money back guaranteed
Had to be rude and publicly call them out in every occasion I could in LinkedIn and other media when they uploaded posts. THEY didn’t like the bad publicity, so at some point they refund everything
I’ll get a bit more out of the old girl yet cap’n!
Nearly three years on and my ‘first one’ is still going strong with the original battery lasting through 2-3 hour calls..
Made the decision to not risk waiting till the end and today received my first Volla, the X23. So, onwards with a new platform for Sailfish, although I can barely bring myself to take the SIM out of the Jolla.
Time to sit it in the original box with the ‘red’ cover, next to the N900 awaiting a battery to be soldered on.
Quality tech lasts decades and those few still aiming for that level deserve support! Thank you.