Jolla’s Sailfish OS hits 2.0, rolling out to existing users soon

Jolla said earlier this month that under a corporate reorganization a new company was being set up for Jolla’s device business, while it would focus on the development and licensing of the operating system.

Intex, which claims to be the second largest Indian smartphone maker after Micromax, has become the first manufacturer to license Sailfish 2.0.

Jolla, the Finnish developer of Android-based Sailfish OS, has roped in Indian smartphone vendor Intex Technologies as the first licensee for its mobile operating system, it announces today at the ongoing Mobile World Congress event in Shanghai.

However, NDTV reports Intex is taking into consideration the release of the smartphone in Russian Federation, but a decision will be taken later on.

Word is Intex’s upcoming smartphone will be priced at around Rs 15,000 outright, which is about $235 or €215.

For a refresh, Jolla was founded in 2011 by former employees of Nokia.

Intex plans to announce Sailfish-based products later in the year. “With an open platform like Sailfish OS, we have a magnificent opportunity to offer great locally relevant premium content to our customers, all integrated directly into the smartphone’s operating system”, Kalirona said.

Jolla’s executive chairman, Antti Saarnio, reckons India is bound to be one of the most important markets for mobile in the future. We have seen a lot of interest among Indian device vendors, digital media houses, and mobile operators, and they all are very keen to work with an alternative to the now dominating mobile operating systems.

Jolla is also focusing on a regional mobile ecosystem called Sailfish India with Intex and other partners (which are yet to be revealed). The company has been quite vocal in its interest to work with domestic manufacturers here to launch Sailfish OS-based devices. The new version of the OS has a PartnerSpace, a premium location directly in the OS for various local services, Jolla said.

He further added “The aim for Sailfish India is to develop a unique Indian mobile ecosystem, which will lead to greater differentiation in the market with more choices for consumers, higher user satisfaction and better revenues for local businesses”. As part of Jolla’s strategy to expand in the BRICS countries, the company also said it’s setting up a subsidiary in India, Sailfish India, in cooperation with local internet players Snapdeal and Times Internet. The Sailfish OS also supports Android applications.