What android version will the sailfish 3 have

An upgrade to Android 5.0 (Lollipop) would be enough for most cases.

They should use Anbox instead, which comes with Android 7, is open source compared to Alien Dalvik and more secure by using LXC (which would prevent Android spywares accessing SailfishOS data): https://together.jolla.com/question/107023/running-android-in-lxc-container/https://together.jolla.com/question/162876/anbox-on-sailfish-os/

and until Sailfish has an ecosystem with as many apps ad iOS or Android, nobody is going to rush to it (except a few "true believers!(tm)".

So no company will ever seriously consider pouring resources ibto developing native apps.

See: Windows Mobile, Ubuntu Touch, or any other OS that wasn't compatible with a major app ecosystem, or did bet on the wrong ecosystem (like Palm webOS).

Basically you have a chicken and egg problem regarding popularity and app ecosystem, and compatibility layers are a way to solve it.

Also, for some user, Sailfish does fill the need for 90% of the time, except for the few occasions where you do need an app that only exist on other OS (your bank insisting on their specific home grown two-factor auth, all your friends insisting on using a specific messaging network whose maker is agressive against 3rd party clients because all their own friends are there too and they don't see why they would need to install a separate messaging app just to chat with you, etc.)

Basically, lots of people are happy with Sailfish except for the 2-3 situations where they need a non-native app. Compatibility layer helps filling that void until Sailfish becomes popular enough for native apps to appear (if that ever happens).

I doubt in Jolla's SFOS succeeding not offering the best of both worlds .....

As an example, I need Threema which is only available as an Android app. Otherwise Sailfish is perfect (well, almost;)

Btw. is there any demand for a native Threema messenger or is everyone happy with the Android version?

I've been able to build myself a (extremely limited) command line runtime but that's still a pain to use on Sailfish.

Your first point is a bit of half-truth as Sami talked about how Jolla is considering bringing newer Android to the Xperia X, but haven't made any firm decision on that just yet. As for when they'll be making that decision and announcing it, he said that it won't be until after they ship the 8.1 support for the XA2 and can make a more accurate assessment on the amount of work required to do so.

Thus we're right now in a sort of limbo. Most probably newer Android support for the XA2 won't ship until next year and we'll find out about if they're going to be backporting that or at least part of it until after that.

"working on" something [Xperia X Android update] maybe a "fact". Completing the proposed implementation is not a fact.

Agreed, it is not a fact. The usual challenge of time, ressources and quality given. As ressources are limited and quality somehow too - it does work - time remains the variable and so we have to sit and wait. But given the fact Sami highlighted they are now still supporting a five year old phone - not enabling 8.1 on Xperia X would be the same as dropping the device - and cut the own flesh highlighting past device support...

So I am confident it happens and this link, Q12 at the end indicates so. Android Runtime of Xperia X

A 5-year old device that may be, but a device that has been supported by Jolla for only 13 months, and whats-more, a support that was paid for by each Sailfish X user.

They know they have to do something about it as the Sailfish Xperia X community is probably the current majority of Sailfish users at this moment in time. You are right that, by not completing the SDK update, it would be a symbolic gesture of Jolla dropping support for the Xperia X, and along with it the majority of the Sailfish users, which would be a massive slap in the face. That's the part where those loyal members simply go walkies. It's not about the SDK update specifically, it's about how those users would have been abandoned so suddenly is what stings.

+1000! My words exactly. Change the reality.

Because SFOS versions of some critical apps (like banking and messaging) are missing. SFOS is isolated in term of major instant messagers and banks. Maybe SFOS is designed for people who use only cash and SMS?

Why? Because no native browser on SFOS is suitable for private web browsing. Ad-blocking isn't enough. Firefox on Android at least lets me employ the same extensions and settings as I use on the desktop. As a nice bonus, I can use Firefox Sync.

Perhaps SFOS3 can bring up the Gecko engine to at least 60+, so there's a change that add-ons work.

Simply because there's one app that is "required" for daily use where I live. The de facto standard digital ID-app is proprietary (don't get me started on this abomination) and is only available on Android (5+) and IOS.

Then there are other proprietary apps made by some companies that are good to have, like Spotify (wonder if they'll ever release an open lib again so I can drop this), Whatsapp (I can't force people I know to switch to Signal if they don't want to) and digital train ticketing.

Then there are other apps that I (or the community) haven't had time, need or energy to port like Trello and an RDP-app.

I want Sailfish because everything else, but I wont hold my breath while waiting for these apps to be available native on Sailfish.

Few of us _may_ need Android due to this or that and we fully understand that but there is no need to push for it. And remember it's a chicken and egg problem here. :)