You'll be able to pop the gesture-friendly Sailfish onto your Android device as a launcher or an OS replacement
The folks at Finland-based Jolla announced that their mobile OS Sailfish is now commercially available for distribution after hitting their 1.0 release and will soon be available as a launcher for Android. For those unfamiliar, Sailfish uses a lot of what was left behind by MeeGo, an operating system built by Nokia before they went all-in with Windows Phone.
They've adapted it to run Android apps not unlike BlackBerry 10's set-up and what Windows Phone is reportedly considering, which is an experience Jolla claims to have polished since a limited release in November. For those that have a spare Android device kicking around and are looking for more than a launcher, Sailfish can work on popular Android-based hardware, including Samsung, Nexus, and Sony handsets.
Besides the Android integration the OS itself looks very slick, full of gestures and menus tucked just past the edge of the screen. Check out the demo video below for a closer look. The folks at Jolla are aiming to update the OS with features and fixes every two months, thanks in no small part to open source contributors. Even though the focus is on the software here, Jolla is currently negotiating with partners in Russia, India, and Hong Kong to sell their device in new geographies.
Developers can get started with Sailfish over here, and we'll be keeping an eye out for them at Mobile World Congress. What do you guys think? Cool UI, or too hip to be useful?
Source: Jolla
