Jolla, the mobile operating system start-up established by ex-Nokia employees, says that it has sold out the first batch of its forthcoming debut smartphone.
Based on the Sailfish operating system, a refined version of Nokia's Linux-based Meego operating system ported to the ARM architecture, the first of the new devices will start shipping to customers before the end of the year.
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The company had showed off its debut device in May, selling the first batch via its website before general sale in shops and via mobile operators. While the company has remained tight-lipped over exactly how many it has sold, a typical production batch for such a device would be around 50,000 units.
Jolla claims that buyers were a combination of consumers and channel retailers.
The handset is being sold for €399, with Finnish mobile operator the only known telecoms company signed up to offer the device to its customers.
The new device sports a dual-core microprocessor, 16GB of storage - expandable via micro-SD card - and comes with a 4.5 inch Estrade display. It has an eight mega-pixel camera and is compatible with 4G networks. The operating system, claims Jolla, is gesture-based and can run Android apps.
One of the key gimmicks of the phone is a removable shell that can also carry content that runs on the phone. The company believes that this feature could be used by organisations to propagate promotional material.
A new batch of Jolla smartphones will be offered to the public in the autumn, said new CEO Tomi Pienimäki.
