Jolla Phone 2026 hands-on: The world outside Android and iOS is exciting

I love alternative operating systems, giving us a look at what’s possible outside the Android and iOS duopoly. And one of the most interesting phones of the year is the 2026 Jolla Phone, which runs Sailfish OS.

Jolla was also at MWC 2026 in Barcelona, and we visited the company’s booth to get our hands on the new Jolla Phone. So is it more than an alternative to Android and iOS? Here’s what I discovered after spending a short amount of time with this €649 (~$755) device.

Jolla Phone 2026 hardware: A mostly good throwback

When I first saw images of the Jolla Phone 2026, I was immediately taken by the orange back. And it’s a pleasantly vibrant color in person, too. I’m also glad to report that this rear plastic cover is removable, although it does feel a little cheap. Thankfully, Jolla says people can also create their own covers if they’d like. Best of all, you can swap out the battery by removing a single screw. You love to see it.

Turn the phone around, and you’ll see a 6.36-inch FHD+ OLED screen. This panel was more than bright enough under the harsh lights of the show floor.  It’s also worth noting that there’s a gigantic display notch (see below), which hosts the selfie camera and a notification LED. I’m willing to overlook this huge cutout, but I’d much rather see a traditional bezel like on Sony Xperia phones.

As for actually holding the device, the curved sides do help make the phone feel more ergonomic. It certainly makes for a refreshing change from the sea of flat-framed iPhone clones. Those sharp corners also evoke early Nokia Lumia devices and the Nokia N9. I’m not sure whether these corners might make the phone uncomfortable to use over extended periods of time, but it can’t be worse than the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s sharp corners.

The 2026 Jolla Phone also has a privacy switch on the left-hand side, allowing you to disable a ton of settings with a quick flick (e.g., microphone, camera, location, Wi-Fi). However, you can also customize this switch so it only turns off certain settings.

Other notable hardware features include a budget-tier MediaTek Dimensity 7100 chipset, 8GB or 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, a microSD card slot, a side fingerprint scanner, and a 5,450mAh battery. It even has a notification LED if you miss this classic feature. In terms of the camera experience, you’re getting a 50MP main shooter and a 13MP ultrawide snapper.

Is Sailfish OS a Jolla good time?

Sailfish OS powers the 2026 Jolla Phone, and it’s a spiritual successor to Nokia’s ill-fated MeeGo platform. I was a big fan of this platform when I reviewed the Nokia N9 back in 2011. But years of using Android means that Sailfish OS takes some getting used to. For example, swiping upwards in an app closes it on Android, while swiping inwards from the screen edge goes back. However, swiping up in an app on Sailfish OS opens the app drawer, while the “back” swipe actually exits the app. I can’t say whether this is definitively better or worse than Android’s gestures given the short time I had with the device, but it’s certainly different.

Sailfish OS also devotes one home screen to multitasking apps (see the first image above), much like MeeGo and BlackBerry 10. You’ll find little app windows on this screen, showing all running apps and letting you quickly switch between them. I’ve always liked the idea of a dedicated multitasking home screen in theory, but I feel like app switching is a more seamless affair on Android.

The platform also gained Android app support years ago via the Android AppSupport layer, and the 2026 Jolla Phone still retains this capability. In fact, you can even install the open-source microG framework as an alternative to Google Play Services if you really need to run certain Android apps. Jolla also allows you to use the Aurora Store if you need access to Play Store apps. I’m happy to see Jolla has maintained this feature, as it means developers aren’t forced to build native apps for the platform.

For what it’s worth, Jolla says the new phone is running Sailfish OS 5.2. The company hasn’t released a changelog just yet, but the earlier Sailfish OS 5 release upgraded AppSupport to Android 13, updated the default browser’s engine, introduced better landscape orientation support, and added call blocking support. You won’t find on-device generative AI features here, but that might be a selling point for some people.

Is the Jolla Phone 2026 worth buying?

I’m really glad to see the 2026 Jolla Phone, as alternatives to Android and iOS are few and far between. I haven’t spent enough time with Sailfish OS to give it a definitive verdict just yet, but I’m happy that the platform is getting some love and a new phone in 2026.

As for the phone itself, it doesn’t have the most powerful processor, a triple rear camera setup, an IP68 rating, or wireless charging. I’d expect at least some of these features on a €649 Android phone, but I’ve definitely seen a few Linux-based phones with less bang for your buck. Jolla has also nailed the fundamentals here, while the addition of enthusiast extras (microSD slot, removable battery, notification LED) helps make this a more tantalizing package.

Perhaps the biggest downside to the 2026 Jolla Phone is availability. The company has already sold the first batch of phones, and it’s currently selling the second batch. However, the phone is only shipping to Europe at the moment. So I hope the company expands to other markets (e.g., North America, MEA, Asia-Pacific) in the coming months.