Jolla, the smartphone start-up established by "refugees" from Nokia, has demonstrated its first reference design, with new devices being released to the public by the end of the year.
Although the company is focused on developing the Sailfish operating system (OS), which was derived from Nokia's abortive Linux-based Meego OS, the devices demonstrated by Jolla featured interchangeable multi-purpose covers as one of their key gimmicks.
Further reading
New Sailfish OS phone 'imminent' as Jolla brings in 'professional' CEO Jolla finally unveils Sailfish – a Linux-based rival to Android, iOS and Windows Phone MeeGo-based phone from Jolla to be 'revealed' later this year
Not only can the covers be quickly and easily changed, but they can also convey additional content. So, for example, to promote a new band a record company could release a bespoke cover, not only with an image of the band, but with videos or ring-tones that could be played or used on the device the moment the new cover is snapped on.
It could also, said Jolla co-founder and head of software, Marc Dillon, provide a bigger flash for the built-in camera or a remote controller for specialist applications.
"This is one of the things we are inviting you to co-create along with us. Create your own other half. Not just the pictures you see [at the launch] but new things, new ways of using the device, new ways of selling to and connecting people that mean the most to you," said Dillon.
The Jolla smartphone comes with a 4.5-inch screen, a dual-core microprocessor, and an eight-megapixel camera. It will offer LTE 4G communications in the relevant markets and include a healthy 16GB of memory and a microSD slot.
The operating system will be able to run Android apps, although the details of this compatibility weren't revealed at the launch - BlackBerry 10, for example, also boasts similar compatibility, but only up to Android 2.3.
Further questions have been raised over the silicon. The company had unveiled a chipset deal with ST-Ericsson in November, only for Ericsson and STMicroelectronics to announce that they would shut down the joint venture four months later.
The company has placed a pre-order price on the new device of €399 - indicative, perhaps, of a lack of partners. The original plan was that Jolla would offer the operating system and reference designs to partners, who would manufacture and offer the phones to operators and customers. It is also markedly more expensive than the Firefox phones launched just weeks ago.
Dillon claimed that the device was already gaining interest from potential buyers and developers, with the new phone achieving 200,000 page views in its first six hours on the company's website.
