Jolla Revives Its Anti-Big-Tech Smartphone with a European Focus

Thirteen years after its initial attempt to break into the smartphone market with the Jolla Phone, the company is reintroducing a successor under the same name. This new iteration is marketed as the "European phone," appealing to a growing European desire for technology that is independent of US Big Tech influences. This sentiment has been fueled by increasing distrust in US digital services, particularly following the Trump administration's close ties with major tech companies.

The Jolla Phone, priced at €649, has garnered over 10,000 preorders since its preview in December 2025, with shipments expected to begin in June. At the Mobile World Congress 2026 in Barcelona, Jolla revealed more about the phone's hardware. The device is assembled in Salo, Finland, a nod to the region's history with Nokia phones.

Jolla's journey has been tumultuous. After a failed launch of the Jolla Tablet in 2015, the company nearly went bankrupt and shifted its focus to licensing its Sailfish OS to automotive companies and governments, including Russia. However, the invasion of Ukraine forced Jolla to sever ties with Russia, leading to a corporate restructuring. The company's assets were acquired by former management under a new entity called Jollyboys. Jolla re-entered the smartphone market in 2024 with the Jolla C2 Community Phone, made in collaboration with a Turkish company, which encouraged the company to develop the new Jolla Phone.

The components of the Jolla Phone are sourced globally, with the MediaTek Dimensity 7100 5G chip from Taiwan, camera sensors from Sony, and RAM from SK Hynix in South Korea. Despite some Chinese components, Jolla emphasizes the integrity of the product by compiling and installing the software in Finland.

Unlike other alternatives, Sailfish OS is based on Linux rather than the Android Open Source Project, allowing it to operate without Google's involvement. This provides a sense of sovereignty over both software and hardware, although it can still run Android apps, albeit imperfectly. The phone includes an option to install MicroG, an open-source software that facilitates Google services on devices without the Google Play Store, easing the transition for users unfamiliar with technical setups.

Jolla's initiative is part of a broader European trend to reduce reliance on US tech companies. Other companies, like France's Murena with its e/OS and Canada's GrapheneOS, are also offering alternatives to Google's ecosystem. Jolla's approach aligns with recent European moves to adopt local technology solutions, such as French officials opting for French-made video conferencing software over Zoom.

The Jolla Phone's specs include a midrange MediaTek Dimensity 7100 5G chip, 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage, a 6.36-inch 1080p AMOLED screen, and a 5,500-mAh battery. It also features "The Other Half" swappable rear covers, allowing users to attach unique accessories like a second display or keyboard. The phone's battery is user-replaceable, and the device is designed to work with major US carriers, although Jolla is currently focusing on the European market.

Jolla Group's chairperson, Antti Saarnio, acknowledges that the Jolla Phone will remain a niche product but sees it as a stepping stone towards new mobile form factors driven by artificial intelligence. Jolla is developing Mind2, a privacy-focused AI computer that connects locally to apps without cloud access. Although the new Jolla Phone won't have AI capabilities at launch, integration is planned for later this year.

Jolla is known for its long-term support of devices, but it remains to be seen how the new hardware and Sailfish OS will perform, especially as deGoogled Android alternatives become more accessible.