# Jolla Phone 88 Hacker News commenters recommended Jolla Phone and 79 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 11 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 3.5 years (11 owners). **Verdict:** Linux phone running Sailfish OS, praised for its usable interface, Android app support and unlocked bootloader; critics point to its high price and the company's record of shipping problems. ## Why people recommend it - Full Linux phone, usable day to day (4 comments): "it was a full fledged linux phone where I could have potentially installed any piece of software" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46677142)) "they have a track record of releasing phones that are good enough to be used as daily drivers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46163928)) "they create GNU/Linux phones that are actually usable and offer better specs than Purism" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50199833)) - Unlocked bootloader and root access (3 comments): "full root access is a checkbox in settings that will install terminal for you, for geeks it's the best option out there" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46165229)) "with the $750 price tag you're getting an unlocked bootloader/Linux support and the labor of Finnish people" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48692137)) "it was a full fledged linux phone where I could have potentially installed any piece of software" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46677142)) - Competitive specs versus other Linux phones (3 comments): "The new Jolla actually does look really good compared to all the other avaiaobale Linix phone hardware options." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46214142)) "The Android app support means it's actually usable in the modern world, and the specs look competitive." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46242516)) "they create GNU/Linux phones that are actually usable and offer better specs than Purism" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50199833)) - Good UX and Android app support (2 comments): "To me this is way ahead of iOS/Android, the native browser sucks, and it requires some massaging to get everything running smoothly, but the UX is second to none." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47225081)) "The Android app support means it's actually usable in the modern world, and the specs look competitive." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46242516)) ## What people warn about - Weak camera and bulky design (3 comments): "they simply lack the funds to put in the best cameras and the dev community for native apps is small" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49842453)) "Reduce it to the size of iPhone 5 and make the main camera flush with the surface" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47218122)) "Who designed such ridiculous camera bump? It would be a really nice device, if only it had a flat backside." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48689181)) - Past pre-order and crowdfunding problems (3 comments): "I would strongly advise do not spend any money on Jolla devices. Check their history of Tablet and other preorder products?" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47220668)) "I would strongly urge people not to pre-order from the company since they have a track record of not shipping" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46163792)) "100s of donors were stiffed of greater than half the money they put into their crowdfunding for the phones" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47227482)) - High price for the hardware (2 comments): "I'd love an updated phone like this Jolly orange Jolla to hack on, but not at that price, and seems like it might be locked down." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46163483)) "the partially closed source OS, the locked bootloader, the $50 device reset fee, the cheap underpowered chinese chipset" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47216667)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Apple iPhone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone.md): 706 recommend - [Fairphone](https://hackerapproved.com/p/fairphone.md): 168 recommend - [Apple iPhone Pro](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-17-pro.md): 144 recommend - [iPhone 13 mini](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-13-mini.md): 141 recommend - [iPhone SE](https://hackerapproved.com/p/iphone-se.md): 84 recommend ## Where to get it - [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Jolla+Phone+Sailfish+OS&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link) - [Official site](https://jolla.com/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Jolla Phone", https://hackerapproved.com/p/jolla-phone/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).