Jolla
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consumer electronics, Technology |
| Predecessor | Nokia MeeGo initiative |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Former Nokia employees |
| Defunct | May 2024 |
| Fate | Declared bankruptcy; operations continued under JollyBoys brand |
| Successor | JollyBoys |
| Headquarters | Tampere , Finland |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Sailfish OS, AppSupport, Smartphones, Tablets |
| Owner | Former management team (via JollyBoys) |
| Website | jolla |
Jolla Oy (also referred to as Jolla Ltd.) is a Finnish tech enterprise focused on creating and marketing Sailfish OS. Its main office is located in Tampere, Finland, with research and development centers situated in Helsinki, Tampere, and Cyberport, Hong Kong. Established in 2011 by ex-staff from the Nokia MeeGo initiative, Jolla builds upon MeeGo’s technology to position itself within the consumer electronics and technology sectors.
The company’s name, "Jolla," meaning "dinghy" in Finnish, reflects its nimbleness and determination to compete against major industry players such as Samsung and Apple. In 2024, amid geopolitical challenges stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Jolla declared bankruptcy to sever ties with Russian investors and has continued its operations under the new JollyBoys brand.
History
In 2005, Nokia introduced OS2005, later renamed Maemo version 5, which debuted on the Nokia N900 in 2009. Nokia partnered with Intel to merge Maemo and Moblin, forming MeeGo in 2010. Nokia announced that the N8 would be its final flagship running Symbian OS, with subsequent devices planned to run MeeGo.
Despite MeeGo’s promise, in 2011 then-CEO Stephen Elop discontinued the project as a cost-saving strategy. The sole MeeGo device released was the Nokia N9, which achieved cult status.
Following MeeGo’s termination and an unfavorable corporate atmosphere, a group of Nokia employees departed in October 2011 to establish Jolla. This startup was financed through Nokia’s "Bridge" program designed to support former employees’ new ventures. Jolla created Sailfish OS as a direct continuation of MeeGo by utilizing the open-source Mer core while developing a proprietary user interface from the ground up.
On 6 July 2012, Jolla revealed plans for smartphones featuring a gesture-based swipe interface influenced by Nokia’s Harmattan UI. Sailfish OS was developed using the Qt, QML, and HTML5 technologies. The company partnered with others to grow its application ecosystem alongside the MeeGo platform.
By September 2013, Jolla enabled Android application compatibility through Alien Dalvik; however, installing Google Play Store required manual user configuration. This Android support evolved into the AppSupport product designed for running Android apps on embedded systems such as automotive infotainment units, becoming Jolla’s main revenue stream by 2022–23.
After an unsuccessful collaboration with a Chinese manufacturer on the Jolla Tablet, hardware operations were separated from the company in July 2015 so that Jolla could concentrate on Sailfish OS development and licensing. Financial strains led to workforce reductions by half in November 2015 and cancellation of the tablet project, which only saw limited distribution to early supporters. A refund initiative was launched in April 2016 but many backers ultimately incurred losses.
Following these difficulties, Jolla attracted new investors including Russian firm Votron in 2016. In March 2018, state-owned Rostelecom acquired Votron and OMP, becoming a major stakeholder. Rostelecom holds a 75% share of Aurora OS, an operating system based on Sailfish.
Jolla extended Sailfish X compatibility to Sony Xperia devices: Xperia X (August 2017), Xperia XA2 beta (November 2018), and Xperia 10 (November 2019).
In February 2022, Jolla announced it had ceased Russian operations during 2021 and initiated shareholder restructuring aimed at eliminating Russian ownership.
In November 2023, Pirkanmaa District Court approved a restructuring plan transferring Jolla’s business activities and personnel to a newly formed company owned by its management team.
In December 2023, German developers successfully ported Sailfish OS onto the Siemens GigaSet GX290 smartphone.
In May 2024, the original Jolla entity filed for bankruptcy after its business operations were assumed by Jollyboys—an organization founded by former Jolla executives—in 2023.
Operating system
Sailfish OS is a flexible mobile platform derived from the Mer project and Nokia’s MeeGo. It is based on a Linux kernel and supports a wide range of hardware. Development primarily utilizes C, C++, Qt, and QML technologies.
The operating system provides native apps accessible through the harbour.jolla.com marketplace and incorporates Android application compatibility via Alien Dalvik, allowing users to run third-party Android software. Sailfish OS features an open-source core that encourages community involvement, paired with a proprietary user interface inspired by the Nokia N9 design. Essential apps such as email, contacts, and camera are developed and continuously updated by Jolla.
Notable milestones in its development include:
- The initial release, Sailfish OS 1, debuted in December 2013 alongside the first Jolla device.
- Sailfish OS 2 arrived in November 2015, extending support to the Jolla Tablet and additional hardware.
- November 2018 saw Sailfish OS 3 launch with improvements in interface responsiveness, enhanced privacy and security features, and broader device compatibility.
- Sailfish OS 4 was introduced in February 2021.
- The upcoming Sailfish OS 5 is planned for February 2025.
Sailfish OS products
- Jolla Mobile Phone (November 2013) – a smartphone running Sailfish OS, equipped with a 4.5-inch IPS qHD screen, 16 GB internal storage, 1 GB RAM, microSD expansion slot, and an 8 MP camera.
- Jolla Tablet – a tablet featuring a 7.8-inch display exceeding 300 dpi resolution, 2 GB RAM, and a quad-core processor clocked at 1.8 GHz.
- Jolla C – a Limited Edition device aimed at developers and the community, offering a 5.0-inch IPS display, 16 GB storage, 2 GB RAM, microSD slot, along with dual cameras (8 MP rear and 2 MP front).
- Sailfish X Program – initiated for the Sony Xperia X in October 2017; later extended to support Xperia XA2 and Xperia 10 series smartphones.
- Gemini, produced by Planet Computers (January 2018) – a PDA running Sailfish OS with physical keyboard, featuring a 5.99-inch display, stereo speakers, a 5 MP camera, and connectivity options including 4G and WLAN.
- Jolla C2 Community Phone – the second Limited Edition developer-focused model available through Jolla’s official store.
These devices reflect Jolla’s approach to serve specialized market segments that prioritize privacy-centric mobile experiences combined with adaptable hardware configurations.
Support
The original Jolla smartphone was supported with a total of 34 firmware updates across seven years, illustrating Jolla’s commitment to sustained device maintenance.
AppSupport
AppSupport utilizes Linux Containers (LXC) to create an Android-like runtime environment within embedded Linux systems. This integration synchronizes contacts, notifications, media playback controls, camera access, and network functions between the containerized Android environment and the host operating system. Although primarily developed for SailfishOS, AppSupport has also been adapted for use in automotive infotainment systems and other mobile platforms.
According to Jolla’s whitepaper from November 2022, AppSupport achieved a 99.4% success rate on the Android Compatibility Test Suite while delivering approximately 97% of the native performance found in the Android Open Source Project. At that time, AppSupport was compatible with Android versions up to API level 29 (Android 10) and could install APK files without modification.
With the release of SailfishOS 5 planned for February 2025, AppSupport will extend compatibility to API level 33 (Android 13).