Sailfish X arrives

Forums › Legacy mobile platforms (Windows Mobile, Palm OS, Web OS, Symbian, Meego, Blackberry) › Sailfish X arrives

Technofreak

6102 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#223748 15-Oct-2017 22:48

Back in February this year Jolla announced at Mobile World Congress that they were to release a version of Sailfish to run on the Sony Xperia X.

Since then I've been waiting rather impatiently for Sailfish X to be released. In readiness I bought a Sony Xperia X a couple of months ago during a sale at PB Tech. Since then it's been sitting in it's box waiting for the new OS.

Last week Sailfish X was released by Jolla. This morning I flashed Sailfish onto the Xperia. Unlocking the bootloader being the most difficult part.

I haven't had much time today to really have a decent play but so far I'm impressed with the OS and the phone. It's certainly a very nice upgrade from the Jolla C. I need to get nano sim and a micro SD card tomorrow.

Over the next day or so I'll get all the apps loaded on and set up and really see how it performs. No doubt with such a new OS and the first time the OS has been used on a 64 bit processor there will be some glitches.

This version of the OS is targeted at the developer community. Apparently things like Bluetooth may not be fully functional but reports so far indicate pretty well most Bluetooth devices work. The Xperia camera is good for 23 megapixels but is currently only delivering 16 megapixels. The finger print scanner is not currently supported. This and higher camera resolution will come with OS updates and developer community support.

While Sailfish X is specifically targeted at the F5121 Xperia X, other releases of Sailfish have been ported onto other devices, e.g. some Nexus phones. Jolla have indicated more Sony devices will follow once they have Sailfish X out in the wild. For anyone wanting to try something different from iOS or Android Sailfish is really worth a look.

So far as apps go there is the Jolla Store, the Warehouse Store (Open Repos) and third party Android Stores. Sailfish has the ability to run Android apps when Android Support is enabled. Android Support runs using alien dalvik.

I wonder who else on Geekzone is running Sailfish? I've seen one other person on the Jolla blog whom I'm guessing by his User Name is from New Zealand.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

Technofreak

6102 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1895662 5-Nov-2017 22:14

I've been using Sailfish X for a couple of weeks now.

The OS has performed well with no major glitches. The first update has been rolled out fixing several bugs including the Blueborne vulnerability among other things.

A couple of minor highlights, one two to three days between charges and the super speedy boot up and I mean speedy. I'm at the end of day two with 24 % battery left.

While some people have reported issues with Bluetooth functionality (this was flagged as one thing that wasn't quite finished) I've had no problems so far. I am using my Pebble Steel, my Trond Bluetooth streaming receiver and my Parrot handsfree car kit with no issues. The camera was initially below par but has been improved with the update.

The main areas that need attention from my perspective are the email app which is a bit laggy at times when opening emails and the enablement of internet sharing. There are other improvement/functions I'd like to to see, some of which are probably best described as personal preferences. For example I miss the calling groups I had back in the Symbian days and the ability to choose when I receive calls from various callers. I have no doubt many of these will be added as the OS matures.

Over all Sailfish is a great OS to use. It's nice and smooth, with its main point of difference (other than being free of Googles watchful gaze) is the ability to open/close/switch between apps by swiping up/down/across the screen making it easy to hold the phone in one hand and use your thumb to do the work.

The Sailfish apps seem so much easier to use compared to Android apps which the OS can also run. The Android apps seem clunky by comparison in the way the various functions are accessed. The pulley menus of Sailfish are so much easier to use especially when only using one hand compared the "hamburger" menus of Android which require you to tap the menu icon. The pulley menu is accessed by pulling down (or up) anywhere in the main part of the screen until the required menu item appears.

Also the closing of apps is just a swipe down the screen when the app is opened, no back buttons.

It would be nice to see Sailfish installed by an OEM that we are familiar with. Jolla have released a couple of devices but now their main focus is as a software company and they are staying away from selling hardware. It would be nice to see Nokia partner with Jolla, they have the same heritage, or perhaps Sony since they have got on board with Jolla with their Sony open devices programme. In the meantime Jolla is making a big push with Sailfish in the BRIC countries with local versions of the OS being used by various OEMs.

In the meantime I'll continue the enjoy the Xperia X running Sailfish.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

Backblaze

Backblaze Unlimited Backup. World’s easiest cloud backup. Get peace of mind knowing your files are backed up securely in the cloud (affiliate link).

Technofreak

6102 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#1979029 17-Mar-2018 15:03

It's now been 5 months since I flashed Sailfish X onto my Xperia X.

Since that time there's been two major updates to the OS, improving and adding features.

The OS has been very solid and reliable. Two days battery life is standard with with up to 3 days in fact I could have pushed it to 4 days on some occasions. Tethering or WiFi hotspot has been enabled and the camera has been improved among other things. Blue tooth functionality is acceptable but some users still report issues with Bluetooth. The email client works well but can be slow opening some emails.

All the basic features you expect are built in. There is a good range of apps in the Jolla store plus there is also a store called Storeman for apps not included in the Jolla store. I don't do Facebook, Twitter etc but there's native apps for these and other similar platforms. There is a very good native mapping app plus also the ability to run Here WeGo and other such apps.

The Jolla store doesn't allow apps to make certain changes to the OS which means for some background apps they need to be restarted each time the phone is rebooted. The Storeman versions get around this type of problem. Also the Jolla Store doesn't provide for payments to the app developers whereas Storeman does.

Sailfish comes with the option to enable the use of Android apps and along with this an app client for downloading Android apps that don't require Google Play Services. Other Android stores like APK Pure can also be installed. Apparently there is a way to enable Google Play Services if you need that, I haven't bothered.

After 5 or so months the the only official ROM is still only for the the Xperia X single sim model 5121 but apparently the dual sim 5122 also runs OK. Jolla have put their energies into improving the current ROM rather than split the efforts of their very small team. Sailfish X was their first 64 bit version of the OS. Putting the OS onto other devices mean making changes to suit the differing processors they have.

Another officially supported device is to be announced very soon. There is a strong community building ROMs for a variety of devices. These ROMs are missing support for MS Exchange emails accounts but otherwise from all accounts run very well.

One big downside at the moment is anyone wishing to use it needs to flash their own device. Will this change? Yes I think it will. Jolla are working with OEMs but not currently with any who sell handsets to our part of the world.

Many, many Sailfish users keep asking Jolla to release a device. Jolla reiterate they are now solely a software company. This is a result of the financial problems cause by attempting to produce a tablet. The tablet failure was caused primarily through the problems of trying to manufacture a small run, being able to get supplies of components in small numbers and getting space on an assembly line. I still think they may relent at some future time and release another device.

Am I happy with Sailfish? Yes very definitely I am, it works well and is very stable. As I mentioned above I find Android a clunky OS by comparison.

Could it better? Most certainly, it's a very young OS. Support for finger print sensors, NFC and other things like these is currently lacking and some in built features could have more functionality. Every update brings improvements in these areas.

Would I recommend it other users. That depends on the user. If you need specialised apps that are only available on iOS or Android then I'd say No. However many users aren't bothered by finger print sensors and the like or don't require a vast range of apps. It's a solid OS that gives very good service. Other than the need to flash you own device I think a large number of users would be quite happy using Sailfish.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

Prudle

56 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2087029 10-Sep-2018 16:33

Hi- any further revelations on sailfish, given you're up to 10 months now.

Is it good enough that you're using it as a daily, or just as an experimental?

I'm waiting (endlessly if seems) for support to come to other xperias (xz specifically) - not sure how much longer I'll hold out - sailfish progress seems quite slow... (I've been following jolla since late 2013)

Technofreak

6102 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2087149 10-Sep-2018 20:09

Hi,

Yep, using the Xperia X with Sailfish as my daily driver, in fact it's the only phone I use.I gave my Jolla C to a family member and they use it as their day to day mobile phone.

Reading between the lines I wouldn't be holding my breath for official Jolla support for the XZ. Apparently it uses a different processor architecture which means a lot of work on Jolla's behalf to get Sailfish to run on that processor. Though who knows what Sailfish 3 will bring.

Having said that I understand there are several community ports of Sailfish. There's probably one for the XZ. The main issue with most ported versions is the lack of support for Exchange and the inability to run Android app, things you get with the paid version of Sailfish.

I'm more than happy with Sailfish, it's by no means perfect but it works pretty well. There's regular updates, the OS is very stable and there is a reasonable development community so far as native apps go. Other than the official Jolla store there is the Open Repos store.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

Prudle

56 posts

Master Geek

ID Verified

Lifetime subscriber

#2089511 12-Sep-2018 19:15

Hi - thanks for the update, maybe I'll wait just a little longer to see what happens. Good luck and happy sailfishing...

Technofreak

6102 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2089526 12-Sep-2018 19:39

Thanks, I intend to enjoy it.

It's a pity not more models are supported. Recently the dual SIM X got an official version.

I kind of expect there to be another model announced when Sailfish 3 is released. That release was slated for the 3rd quarter of this year. That's nearly come and gone but based on previous release dates that have slipped that's no surprise.

I like the OS, I find other OS's clunky. It'd be really nice to see it get more exposure.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

Technofreak

6102 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2090914 14-Sep-2018 21:31

From the latest Jolla blog update the next supported Sony phone is the XA2.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

Technofreak

6102 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2100360 2-Oct-2018 21:28

Sailfish 3 has been announced with early access release at the end of October.

Support announced for Sony XA2 dual and single sim with hints other XA models might also be supported.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5

Technofreak

6102 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#2118047 1-Nov-2018 19:10

Sailfish 3 announced 31st Oct - 1 Nov our time. https://blog.jolla.com/sailfish3/

From November the 8th it'll be available for the Sony Experia XA2, XA2 Plus, and XA2 Ultra.

The update is available for those who have signed up for the early release. My phone showed the update was available for download earlier today. I haven't updated yet, I like to wait a day or so in case of any hiccups. Though so far everything sems to be going smoothly

I'll report back with my thoughts in a few days.

Sony Xperia XA2 running Sailfish OS. https://sailfishos.org The true independent open source mobile OS
Samsung Galaxy Tab S6
Dell Inspiron 14z i5