Lucky attendees at Mobile World Congress are getting the chance to get hands-on with the updated, security-conscious, Sailfish 2.0 operating system. Inspired by the desire for increased security on mobile devices, Sailfish is starting to mature into itself –becoming a more full-featured, open-source operating system. Married to the Jolla tablet (made by the Finnish company staffed by former Nokia employees), the pairing may be ready to take on the likes of Apple and Google.
Considered a contender in the low-cost tablet marketplace, the Jolla tablet hardware offers competitive specs: 7.85-inch screen with a resolution of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, Intel-based chip running 1.8GHz, 2GB of RAM, 32GB and 64GB internal storage options, and a microSD card slot. Nokia styling is present here as well, with flat and rolled edges on hardware that is compact and light (and affordable, with a final retail price expected around $249 USD).
Ultimately, it’s less about the hardware and more about the software. Sure Sailfish 2.0 is more streamlined, and continues to support Android apps (though not using the Google Play store)… but the real news is the added support for Intel’s Atom x3 chipset (giving a new push into licensing with other OEM hardware).
Based loosely on the old MeeGo platform (born of a partnership between Nokia and Intel), Sailfish OS is all about enhanced security by way of a deal made with the SSH Communications Security company in Finland (best-known for the development of the beloved Secure Shell encrypted communications protocol). As we move forward to a brave new world filled with mobile payment solutions and the like, interest in this kind of powerful ecosystem makes good sense (let’s not forget that BlackBerry made an entire business out of being trusted by government and industry).
Does anybody else have the nagging feeling that Sailfish is much less likely to dominate Android or iOS and more likely to be purchased and then assimilated by one or the other eventually?
Jillian Koskie is an experienced software developer, content writer, project manager and usability design expert. With over 17 years in these roles, Jillian has enjoyed applying her skill-set to assist clients and users across a wide variety of sectors including: legal, health, and financial services. Combining these professional opportunities with a love of technology, Jillian is pleased to contribute articles, opinions, and advice to numerous news outlets, websites, and publications.
