Jolla Tablet
jolla.com
jolla.com
I love the battery life. Perhaps thanks to using Qt/C++ instead of a higher level language/framework, or perhaps thanks to me being social-medially-challenged, the standard 2200 mah battery takes me for a good chunk of 48 hours.
Yes, there aren't much apps for it, (there was a time when you could practically download the entire Jolla store to your phone) but almost all of the apps are open source. If you're craving for the latest episode of Brain Crush Saga, you're not in the target audience anyway.
There are also a couple of factors which make it a unique offering:
-It's not from Google, it's not from Apple, so I'm a bit more comfortable privacy-wise.
-The concept of "The Other Half". It's sort of a "hardware app" that you can use as the back cover of your phone. For example, there's a kickstarter for a The Other Half Keyboard running right now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2028347278/tohkbd-the-o....
-No front-facing buttons! Huge success design-wise. Not gorgeous like the N9 (reportedly due to some patent issues), but still very eye-pleasing.
All in all, very cute device, but definitely not (yet) for everyone.
As for the tablet, I expect to be a lot more productive with it compared to the toys on the market now, especially thanks to it being an Intel-based device with a proper Linux distribution. And at ~200$ for this kind of device, to me it's a bargain.
The Indie GoGo page is buried far down the page, so here it is for your convenience: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/jolla-tablet-world-s-firs...
Keep up the amazing work, Jolla team, you are making a difference.
Disclaimer: No affiliation, just a happy customer.
I get about 48h of light use though. Battery life used to be worse, but I was able to tell an indexing service to only run after boot and not during use. Might be updates overwrite user customizations, so I need to do it again.
After that update the phone refused to talk with Debian Wheezy and Windows 7 over USB but Ubuntu 14.4 LTS works just swimmingly now, and it's what I use on my desktop anyway. That update finally resolved an issue with the screen not wanting to unlock, and now it's smooth sailing.
I'm actually quite happy with the phone. I expected issues when I bought it and since I'm proficient with Linux I can solve them from the command line interface. The phone won't let me copy-paste from the GUI to the CLI; as per a bug report this functionality is pending robust sanity checking and security. The keyboard is very sensitive in just the right way and once I got used to the UI Android started to feel like a bygone era. I'm Finnish, and during the holidays I'll probably be expected to advise my relatives on whether or not they can upgrade their tablets to Jolla's new device.
Note that just yesterday Nokia announced a new Android tablet: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30096603 An odd coincidence?
(p.s. I had only just learned to use QtCreator for Symbian when the Microsoft deal was announced. Jolla relies on Qt, so getting started with Qt was in fact not a waste of time. I'm looking forward to learning functional C++14!)
I'm actually quite surprised it's only 48 hours. My is keeping 3-4 days without charging. I have it configured to check 3 IMAP accunts and sync facebook, twitter & gmail once per hour, with a couple of most used apps running constantly. To be honest I never expected that I will be to find a phone that will stay charged for more than single day.
Sailfish is an interesting OS, it has RPM package manager and looks like they've proprietary Android compatibility layer. It also uses Qt/QML for apps which is interesting.
The specs look good too when compared to the other rivals in the range[1]
https://images.indiegogo.com/file_attachments/1026232/files/...
Does anyone here use a Jolla device?
I’m still waiting for a high-end second generation version. From the various forums, there are/have been some minor bugs and I’m somewhat annoyed that they went for RPM instead of sticking to dpkg from the N9, but otherwise it seems a sensible approach to a mobile phone without the usual issues with Google/Apple.
By then the development of N9 was already at an advanced status, so it didn't switch to Intel-provided internals; the N9 is basically the last Maemo device, and everything Jolla did afterwards is the Meego we would have seen if not for Elop's self-sabotage.
One downside is there is no way to monetize your apps from the Jolla appstore, I think this might be holding back a few people from making apps.
I'm also very happy on how easy it is to connect to the computer. Plug in the USB, and I can have it show up as an MTP device, or RNDIS. Using it as RNDIS I can just login to it via ssh and run any commands like any other linux.
Most importantly software development for it is pure joy compared to the cesspool that is Android development. Just copy a binary to the device and it runs. No need to mess around with APK's and manifests and whatnot. Perfect for just trying things out.
I had some brief issues with the phone spontaneously rebooting, which was solved by wedging a piece of paper at the back of the battery so it made a better connection with the contacts. Such are the joys of buying a first gen device I guess...
It is really developer friendly device. It has awesome SDK and it isn't trying to restrict you by any means. But even that, there are not really that many applications for Sailfish OS and only few of them are good. And there is literally no official client for anything and that brings problems - for example, several people were banned from WhatsApp for using Mitakuuluu (WhatsApp client for Sailfish OS). There isn't full-featured Facebook client, there isn't client for my bank account or for my operator. App for public transport for your country? Nope, it isn't there. Sure, you can use Android apps (not from Google Play though, you have to use Yandex store or Amazon store), but: 1) There are no Google Play Services - that means no integration with Google Account, no maps, no that pretty cool Google Inbox app, Google is moving a lot of things into Google Play Services, 2) there will be problems with any non-trivial app. Games are OK, but GPS tracking? Didn't work when app wasn't active (so you have to have screen on). Wanted to try Pressy? Doesn't work, it wants to access your Google account. Besides, if you are buying this device convicted that you will use Android apps on it, why not buy Android phone?
To end this comment with something positive, I could say that this is "OK" device. It is impressive that they are able to build this device with that small team. They are listening to community, they are updating their OS frequently. Besides some quirks, Sailfish OS is as good as any other mobile phone OS. It runs fast and it is based on Linux, Qt5 and even Wayland compositor. You can be more confident that you are not being watched (at least they say). Your inner geek will be pleased. But at the end of the day, you will look at other people phones, they are playing that new cool game, using that new cool app you always wanted to try, trying that new HN or Reddit client, using Google Inbox, using Instagram Hyperlapse, using their expensive gadgets, fitness trackers, using their phones to find how will they get home and your phone has just suddenly rebooted again.
Except, of course, for Finland: https://openrepos.net/content/w01w13/reitti
One of the city bike apps also supports Dublin along with a lot of other cities in Europe.
Also how is the performance of this compatibility layer ?
"There are no back doors or anything third parties could use for monitoring your activity. Together with the open source community, we’re continuing to strengthen our privacy capabilities at every opportunity."
Similar state as the N9: nice interface, some good UI ideas, semi-open Linux based OS, minimal applications available and not many features in the basic ones included with the OS. Battery life is similar to my N9, about 5-6 days – I'm not a phone junkie; I use the calendar, alarm and music player (about 1 hour of music per day), and email/browser in case of emergency; WLAN internet only, no automatic remote checking, no non-Jolla applications installed (so far).
I like the phone; it's stable and the basic functionality is there and that's all I really use. I prefer open-source and as free as possible systems, and I've been able to import/export data from the N9 and Jolla and make minor changes using their terminal applications as you can just access them as any other Linux system.
If you are a mainstream user wanting to install lots of mainstreams apps, are a spec junkie or want to have the latest and greatest gadget, Jolla probably shouldn't be your first choice. But if you like open-source and the freedom to actually do things with the system, I feel it is a good choice.
Plus, it's not another iOS or Android device... It's good there are alternative options.
Personally, I would like an OS that supports compilation to native code without having to polish every single bit manually (like Android forces you to do if you dare to use C instead of Java).
What I definitely don't need is Android by another name — for now, I just hope it will be better.
EDIT: http://developer.android.com/about/versions/android-5.0-chan...
Personally though I'm a bit disappointed that they went the crowdfundign way on this. They didn't have any problems selling their mobile phone, and it's doing quite good as far as I've seen.
Also I hope they do continue to produce it afterwards, but this item in the FAQ leaves me wondering:
> Will the tablet be available also for general sale or only through Indiegogo?
>If there is demand, we'll consider all options. In any case, the Indiegogo contributors will get the tablet first and with the lowest price at the time of delivery.
They need to manage a steady income of money for their product, which also includes captivating developers to target their platform.
This means adding developer evangelism to their costs, on top of the usual consumer oriented costs.
Alongside battling against Blackberry and FirefoxOS for that fourth place.
Not impossible, but very very hard with their budget.
I think there are/will be enough people who are looking to an alternative to the apple-android-(wp)-mainstream, jolla will do well imho.
In the southern and eastern European countries, where we traditionally only use pre-paid phones and contracts are out of reach for most pockets, it is easier to spot Android and Windows Phones than iOS devices.
Are the ones using Windows Phones all Microsoft employees and affiliates then?
Moving to a new UI size without resolving all phone-related problems? A bad idea IMHO
What drew me to it was the open source OS but it's very immature and needs a lot of work. It also needs a lot of new adopters to improve its ecosystem of apps.
The android compatibility is shaky at best and ruins the entire user interface experience of the sailfish OS.
The whole phone does not feel robust, not at all like the OnePlus for example which is my currently active phone, or the iPhone 4 that I previously used.
All this makes me very reluctant to purchase a Jolla tablet.
My Jolla is the opposite from this. On my Jolla, I am root.
I genuinely don't get this.
You don't trust the OS not to spy on you, so you covered the camera? Fine. But if you don't trust the OS, how do you stop it from, say, uploading everything you type to Google? OK, perhaps you have a highly restrictive firewall, or only use it offline (reading ebooks?)
But in that case, what's the point of the black tape over the camera? It now has no way of contacting the mothership; all you've done is restrict your ability to take pictures.
Surely the better idea would be to compile an AOSP build for the N7 (or maybe just get CyanogenMod if you're less paranoid?) and you basically have a tablet which you completely control without buying a Jolla (with an equivalent app ecosystem and less bugs)?
Note that there are definitely reasons to get a Jolla phone; for example the fact that AOSP on the N7 is unsupported by google -- just saying I don't fully understand the tape on the camera when you don't trust the OS.
(maybe it was just a figure of speech; in which case, ignore me -- it didn't come across that way in your comment)
Some devices, e.g. a Dell All-in-one PC, come with a little latch that you can pull in front of the forward-facing camera. It's often not just the mothership that is the target of these measures. It could even be family who misguidedly install spyware.
Your original comment seemed to indicate it's was Google's privacy policies you were protecting yourself against. And Google supplies the OS -- most of which is open source.
Comparing the open-ness of the SW, both of them are equally open or closed. The Sailfish UI is closed source (but you get something close using Mer) -- As for android, just GApps is closed (which, I would argue, is better than the Sailfish situation)
So, if you are motivated to not use android due to paranoia; my recommendation is to run a AOSP build with F-Droid as an app store. There are many reasons to use a Jolla phone. Privacy alone is not a reason to switch ecosystems (as I said earlier: there are other, more compelling reasons).
And of course, you need the black tape covering your camera on both the Android and the Jolla (which was your original statement I disagreed with :)
I obviously stuck with it where you decided not too and I can understand why but I would urge you to give it a second chance.
It sort of reminds me of Android's G1, a phone I had an loved for the fact that I could make anything on it, even if it was rough around the edges. I look forward to seeing where they take this and how they smooth out issues.
Samsung seems to call it "64GB microSDHC Pro" in some places though, so the problem here might be terminology and not actual lack of support.
I can't see any reason why the tablet wouldn't support such a card.
You can take an SDXC card and format it as FAT32 and it'll work -- of course you'll still face the limitations of FAT32 as far as file size, etc.
The blink tag was hip once, too, so I have some hope that these fads will pass when the so-called "user experience experts" move to greener pastures.
Am I missing something here? Because I would love to have this tablet.
For example MapFactor Navigator provides turn-by-turn navigation and works reasonably well.
I used navigation as an example. In general though I really don't get the idea of wifi-only table. I commute regularly and get most of my non-coding work done during that time; e-mail, responses, catching up on news and a whole bunch of things. Also when I'm out I carry my tablet around, just in case.
And I have a dumbish phone which I use for making/receiving calls :-)
(Also an advantage over using the phone for data is that by using a data-only SIM, your ISP won't do some nasty stuff like blocking VoIP. In the end, I may go back to a dumbphone, too.)
I just did a quick search and it looks like python can be used.
Sailfish does not have an applications language option that provides the features and performance that Swift and Java provide and with Rust Sailfish can go beyond Swift and Java(in at least performance).
Here is a simple sailfish app built with JS (not my project): https://github.com/Simoma/tinytodo
But, you're comment does bring to mind one fact and that is that not all of Qt would have to be wrapped. For Haskell and Go bindings are only being built for QML. I really wouldn't trust either of those bindings without official or financial backing(like PyQt) for commercial work though.
Other than that I don't agree with you. Qt has quite a lot of developers. I always had little respect for Google's choice of Java in Android which was made for the sake of getting more developers. If anything, by that logic Rust would have way less potential developers than C++.
If it can't stand alone it'll fall over in this market.
If I thought they weren't going to reach their goal I'd go for it, but doesn't look look like they'll have any issues there!
I liked a lot of the Jolla ideas on the phone too, hopefully this'll be great!
I am confuse. Is this the Nokia N1 in a different guise?
Nokia allegedly started working on N1 when Microsoft deal went through.