Poll: have you managed to convince your Andr/Apple loving friend to switch to Jolla

asked 2014-04-04 12:53:05 +0200

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updated 2016-02-01 19:37:28 +0200

JSEHV
6694 ●134 ●182 ●161

Hello Sailors! Here is pretty simple question for you: have you managed to convince any of your friends or collegues or whatever, who actually never heard about Jolla before, to switch to it? What were the major difficulties while taliking with your friends about it? I know every one of us tried to do it. You can write about your experience on this subject in comments and please vote, so we could get some numbers.

This is a Poll question, so please tick the "Community Wiki" checkbox when posting an Answer to this Question.

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Due to my age, my friends see a mobile phone for what it is; something to make calls with and to send the occasional text.

When I showed a few friends the Jolla and what it couldn't do, I was the laughing stock for about 5 minutes until we all needed our oxygen tanks to breathe, bearing in mind this was OS 1.0.0.5 (the beginning).

If anything, the phone didn't raise any eyebrows, but created plenty of frowny faces, as to why I had spent so much money on an incomplete phone! (They didn't quite understand the bit about development by the user).

The best part about the phone for my friends, is you can change its appearance with new TOH's, until I told them how much they were, now one of my friends is still recovering in hospital, after laughing himself into an asthma attack!

I got given a Samsung Galaxy S2 with a broken USB port (repaired for £7) and installed a stable version of Cyanogenmod. The screen is bright, the phone is functional and above all, it does what you ask of it and to be honest, I like it!, it all works!

A friend still uses his immaculate Nokia N8 (he won't part with it), which if we are honest, the only thing that really lets that phone down, is the OS, otherwise, it's a cracking camera, then the USB OTG, the HDMI out, all nice features. Even the S2 will output video with the right cable! (MHL).

It's Nokia or Samsung for the majority of my friends, who got their phones on contract back in the days of Jesus and refuse to upgrade, because and I quote; "I like my little phone, it's very reliable and I know how to use it". (Wow, I sounds like an old fart!!, I'm mid 40's, not so old, eh?) :D

I'm selling my Jolla, it was bought with money I didn't have, I've had the experience (been, seen, done it) so I will repay my debt from Jolla proceeds, maybe a friend might like to buy it, but I doubt that very much, that will be like trying to sell sand to Arabs.

Right, all jokes and japes aside, I quite like my Jolla, but not enough to be keeping hold of it, it's going on eBay this week! I noticed one went for £320.00, 'The First One' edition, which mine is. Minus the stickers, which are now hiding dents on my mountain bike and fridge and of course, my t-shirt is well worn already, but the Jolla is still immaculate, so off to auction it is!

Spam Hunter ( 2014-04-04 14:53:06 +0200 )edit

wow, it's really sad :( i'm myself actually convinced my friend to switch from Iphone 5. She liked gesture-based interface and TOH technology. Although i also have couple of friends with "what the hell is this crap?" attitude =\

virgi26 ( 2014-04-04 14:59:32 +0200 )edit

Changing all entries into Wiki entries, since this is a poll question.

00prometheus ( 2014-04-04 15:48:27 +0200 )edit

co-workers like the gesture UI and full screen without bar notification and discrete notifications.
my part: too many things not yet working/ready exposed at another topic, This just final beta 1.0.4.20 and not release for my self as end user. version 1.0.4.20 mostly a smartphone for closed group developers level, linux fans, not for end user like user came from SymbianOS S3 Belle on Nokia N8-00 (too many things can doing only at developer mode but should interest user level !)

Still a lot of works before reach more generic customers.

Sometime, i think the SailfishOS/software are mostly used only at developer mode and almost not tested as user level by developer

redge73 ( 2014-04-05 03:11:55 +0200 )edit

I think the 'poll' here is a bit out of hand as the answers are more like commentary than actual options to vote for. In my case a few are interested, but a definite and big blocker is the fact it doesn't work with a Mac (really bad for me too). Also the size is a turnoff for some. Apps I have found to be less of an issue.

Setok ( 2014-04-05 15:00:41 +0200 )edit

33 Answers

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answered 2014-04-04 18:28:19 +0200

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updated 2014-04-04 18:28:19 +0200

ossi1967

15990 ●198 ●253 ●259

I do not try to make people switch to the microwave I use. I don't see why I should interfere with their preferences about phones, either.

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I understand where you're coming from, however, I'll say that certain things should be encouraged such as XMPP in favour of [pick your favourite closed instant chat protocol]. It's a matter of responsibility, and many aspects of Sailfish fall under this category.

gabriel ( 2014-04-04 18:43:23 +0200 )edit

I have no idea how to use XMPP with Jolla phone and connect/find partner/friend with it

redge73 ( 2014-04-05 03:18:09 +0200 )edit

redge73: yup, that's a problem in this industry in general sadly. There is plenty of material online and here to assist if you're ever interested to find out. For example, Google talk still uses XMPP, whatsapp doesn't, hence I can connect with any compatible client with the former, but not the latter. This is a very simple example anyway.

gabriel ( 2014-04-05 13:10:19 +0200 )edit

I usually recommend a product without thinking about it. It's not that I'm trying to convince someone but it happens easily that I say "I really like that cafeteria, microwave etc" and then I say because they have so good tasting coffee or that the microwave is so efficient and easy to use. But with my Jolla I have kept quiet so far. Still think that there will be a day when I can recommend it and many are looking for alternatives.

Wizah ( 2014-04-05 15:01:53 +0200 )edit

answered 2014-04-06 12:31:54 +0200

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updated 2014-11-25 14:59:36 +0200

eric

12967 ●88 ●133 ●123

https://twitter.com/erkki...

I'm not a missionary man, so to speak, and thus I will show Jolla to those who wish to try it out but that's it. The best thing going for Jolla for me, in addition to a very usable and non NSA compliant OS, is the battery life compared to at least to Android and iOS devices.

Mind you, I like to try various operating systems, especially if they share the ideology of F/OSS. Thus I am not interested in Android, Windows or iOS. At the moment I also have a phone with FirefoxOS and I will be trying out mobile version of Ubuntu once it is released with or... in a device. I could also try out some of the open source versions of Android - Gyanogenix?

I know that Nexus would be cheaper as wouldn't have to purchase device for each of the OS', but I like to support the companies that make an effort in diversifying the mobile OS market. At the moment, Jolla and SailfishOS, provide me with everything I need.

The only bad thing I can think of right now is that Jolla store doesn't support software written in Python. Hence the users are missing out on some essential software that Maemo devices could offer (for instance gPodder!) Also the support for Webapps (Gecko + HTML5 + js + css) would be appreciated to deploy applications from FirefoxOS and Ubuntu.

In short, I haven't even tried to convert anyone.

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Web Apps: There is a thread at https://together.jolla.com/question/1020/support-for-firefox-os-apps/ added to that I have commented on issue tracker of Github where the issue was raised by coderus.

pavi ( 2014-11-26 10:26:37 +0200 )edit

answered 2014-04-06 14:33:44 +0200

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updated 2014-11-25 14:59:55 +0200

eric

12967 ●88 ●133 ●123

https://twitter.com/erkki...

One of my co-workers asked me if he should get a Jolla phone. I told many things about Jolla, pros and cons. Also tried to be honest and told that maybe Jolla is not ready for all at the moment. He bought Jolla anyway and guess what, he likes the Jolla phone!

I am not trying to "sell" Jolla phone to my friends or co-workers. If someone is interested, I tell and show how it works and where to get more information.

Seems to be the case, that the more people know about the company (Jolla Oy), Jolla people and the Jolla community, the more they like the phone. We tend to like the story behind. A small company jumping off "the burning platform", working day and night to get Jolla and Sailfish ready, having a enthusiastic community supporting them, etc.

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answered 2014-04-04 16:27:58 +0200

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updated 2014-04-05 04:18:36 +0200

nthn

12631 ●154 ●230 ●225

I haven't found that much to brag about my Jolla. If you stumble upon someone who is pretty into mobile phones but haven't heard that much about Jolla/Sailfish then the reaction is a bit unexpected because they turn silent and kind of don't know what to ask other than about the phone specs :) I've noticed the same thing when presenting GNU/Linux to Windows users. They turn into question marks and walk away ;) even if you try to keep it simple. One of the reactions is that why aren't more people using it if it's better.

I haven't found anything good to say about TOH either other than it provides a lot of possibilities but for now there's not much you can do with the TOH. Sorry but I won't tell anyone that you can change your ambiance by changing TOH. Now many other manufactures have all kinds of accessories that you can easily attach to your mobile so soon it has to be something really awesome to be worth mentioning. A QWERTY keyboard or wireless charging may not be enough.

I also haven't been that eager to recommend it to people yet before the OS gets a bit more mature and includes more of the features that an average Joe would expect.

I kind of convinced my girlfriend to buy one but she was surprised that you had to install warehouse etc to get the basic things working. She was a bit disappointed about the missing basic phone features like a number pad as default etc. She doesn't do that much with her phone either but she would like a a decent Facebook app. I'm not a FB user myself anymore so I couldn't warn her about that.

I'm still a bit optimistic about the future of Jolla and I think that within' 6 months or so I can start recommending Jolla to my friends. This maybe reflects my marketing skills :D

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Missing number pad!??? Phone -> pulley menu -> enter number... and there it is! I don't get your point.

Philippe De Swert ( 2014-04-06 14:44:33 +0200 )edit

Yup, but it's not visible as default but instead there's a long recent call list. It would be great if there would be a setting "Always show number pad" and it would show the number pad plus the four most recent numbers.

Wizah ( 2014-04-06 19:21:41 +0200 )edit

or Phone->(minimise)->(nudge app cover) -- always on homescreen if unclosed

sledges ( 2014-04-16 01:51:30 +0200 )edit

6 months have passed since I wrote this. I haven't marketed my Jolla for regular users yet. Only to my nerd friends :) We are getting there but I think I'll start recommending this within a year or so. That's my new guess.

Wizah ( 2014-11-25 15:25:26 +0200 )edit

Install patchmanager from openrepos, there you can activate numpad by default (it's weird that this isn't supported by the base OS...)

mgbler ( 2014-12-29 00:46:20 +0200 )edit

answered 2014-04-04 19:38:04 +0200

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updated 2014-04-04 21:04:48 +0200

karlefr

96 ●3 ●5 ●10

Yes, these comments and answers sound all kind of sad for the Jolla phone, but I am convincing myself that it will get better. But then the iphone, android and windows (!!) will get better too.

Even this morning I was showing the Jolla to a friend and he didn't get exited..... It was just another phone with less possibilities than the aforementioned three he thought.

I like swimming against the stream, it is exhilarating. But I am afraid not many want to join.

Jolla has to get into the carriers to succeed and concentrate on design and built quality, otherwise it will be an also ran only.

The other thing is the mobile phone market is now grown up, what new can there be in the future? (Plenty, I hope)

And I still think it is an alternative to all the other phones on the market, not many will agree!

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answered 2014-04-05 12:11:54 +0200

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updated 2014-04-05 12:12:53 +0200

virgi26
4196 ●73 ●100 ●111

wow! what is it with all the negativity? :( am i the only one who actually like it? and use it on everyday occasion

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I'm using it everyday, and I like the gesture based Os very much (I was an N9 user) but I cannot say it's a completely and simply usable product. As I said in my post, there are basic things completely missing; I have eyesight problems and I have no accessibility settings so for instance reading an email is a challenge, I'm a Mac user and I have no Mac support. They said they are 100% Android compatible, but the notification system doesn't work. How can I suggest anyone to buy a jolla?

Gabir ( 2014-04-05 12:26:48 +0200 )edit

We like it and use it. But since we aren't 100% satisfied, how can we, in good conscience, recommend it to someone else?

sifartech ( 2014-12-30 02:29:23 +0200 )edit

One man's negativity is another man's objectivity ;)

pichlo ( 2014-12-30 13:41:34 +0200 )edit

answered 2014-04-06 14:47:35 +0200

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updated 2014-11-26 10:23:35 +0200

eric

12967 ●88 ●133 ●123

https://twitter.com/erkki...

I'm using my Jolla as my main phone and for me it does what it should.

I think technically it would be alright for average Joe, too.

But I think there are mainly two things that'll keep him away from Jolla:

For me the price was alright because I wanted a phone with an OS similar to Sailfish. Average Joe- who just want's a working device and wouldn't care about the OS- will find that an Android device at about 200 EUR will do the same for him as the Jolla at 400 EUR.
Average Joe can touch and buy the android device at his local electronic/phone store (or a web store that underlies his countries law). And he can bring it in there if there is a problem with the device. I wouldn't have bought my Jolla, too, if there was a phone I expected to satisfy my needs offered by a store in my own country.

I think beside the technical view these are the two things Jolla has to work on if they want to reach average Joe. Availability at local stores/web shops and a target price that could compete against comparable android devices.

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I was going to comment that I just got my wife a Jolla for Christmas and she is an average Jane as far as technology is concerned - but then I realuzed that hey, she has a geek in the house! ;)

Having said that, I think that at least past 1.0.8.x, the OS is mature enough for the general public use. The availability of applications is a different thing. I hear you can run Android apps on it to bridge the gap but I do not and would not use it myself so cannot comment.

pichlo ( 2014-12-30 15:18:05 +0200 )edit

answered 2014-04-05 04:06:34 +0200

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updated 2014-04-05 04:06:34 +0200

Kayakist
861 ●16 ●18 ●23

So far none of my friends have bought a Jolla, but a couple of them are definitely thinking about getting one. I'm always happy to show the phone to someone interested in it, but at the same time I run into a problem: just letting someone turn the phone around in their hands and swipe around the OS for a couple of minutes really just doesn't give a very clear picture of the benefits of the unit. (The design is obviously different from most other smartphones, but that's just a question of preference, and the hardware itself isn't that impressive.) The bigger issue though is the learning curve for the most important part of the phone, SailfishOS. While checking out the phone, most people seem more confused than anything else, since it takes more than just a couple of minutes to get to grips with the gesture- based system. Luckily the upcoming Sailfish "emulator/ demo"(?) for Android devices should make it easier to get to know the OS, and thus make a decision whether to buy a Jolla or not...

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answered 2014-04-05 19:22:08 +0200

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updated 2014-04-05 19:22:08 +0200

SergeiStPete
791 ●8 ●11 ●15

Practically it's nothing to add to previous answers. After 1.0.4.20 i use Jolla as my main phone, but the only why i don't shift back on N9 it's because i have corporate WP8 Lumia in parallel. N9 is still the best, current combination is just temporary solution to play with other technologies. i hoped Jolla will be my next main - nope so far. Will wait till late summer and see then.

Yes, i demonstrated Jolla to some of my friends, they are interesting and positive to UI concepts. But even more they are interesting in reliability - basic phone functions and apps (no one cares that's native Sailfish or Android ones) they use day-to-day shall work as expected from user mode, without workarounds, patchs in config through developer mode, etc.

One more point, i don't recommend people things i personally like, maximum could inform them about such. In case of Jolla that means if someone purchase the device based on my recommendations and he will be disappointed i simply return him e400 to keep good relationships. Try to avoid such situations.

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answered 2014-12-31 09:46:36 +0200

Obi
141 ●1 ●7 ●5

If somebody asks I say that this phone requires quite lot of adventurous spirit. Things like factory reset bringing up very old version of os, os updates requiring store account, email support requiring download software before options come available, no UI support for SDCard etc are bit user-unfriendly.

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I have to agree with you , one of the most sensible comments ever. I come from a GNU/Linux world and the convenience this UI offers is just beyond my wildest dreams , I was very late in purchasing the phone and by the time I purchased new updates ironed out all the silly glitches which are very common in new systems like sailfish os. The fact that its new hardware , new software despite its roots of maemo,meego and even Mer added with some common effort shared with ubuntu phone , I just cant help but appreciate this tech marvel. Yes I sound like a PR piece but I have used N900 and also tried out firefox os and all those *droid stuff.

My only concern is the lack of native development. I wish it increases and pushes out those *droid apps . Regarding "Account creation" for updates cmon every other distro except firefox os asks you to create an account and I wonder why they are doing this , maybe to collect usage statistics. Its just a one time thing . Create an account and be done with it.

pavi ( 2015-01-01 07:41:53 +0200 )edit

Please vote and comment on the SD Card thread its related threads which are linked to it. https://together.jolla.com/question/57028/os-is-not-making-proper-use-of-the-sd-card/

pavi ( 2015-01-01 07:42:20 +0200 )edit

Yes, I have voted for the SD card. I also bought my Jolla month ago, so probably haven't seen the worst.

And having logged into store for upgrade isn't big thing, but it could be much much easier if for example in first welcome wizard phone checked and offered upgrade firmware without store registration etc. If I do phone setup for someone else and ask about creating some credentials I always get some frowns and people always forgot those.

And it would be much easier if after failed upgrade you could a) Factory restore to fresh installation of latest firmware. b) Roll back upgrade. I know that current setup uses BTFRS snapshots but its reverting to first SailfishOS release ever (?) and as more time time passes on and new releases come, less handy it is.

Also basic thing like Email setup could have some kind of wizard asking what kind of account do you have (Gmail, Office 365, Outlook.com, MS Exchange, Yahoo, Yandex, Facebook whatever), download automatically required software, set settings and enable security settings if server requests those.

Now with MS Exchange I had to figure out to download Exchange app before it was a option in accounts and as a last step in account creation it said that my phone doesn't have security features enabled required by server. It didn't offer to turn them on, it didn't even say what features were required and only option was cancel wizard, try to guess what is needed and run wizard again writing all the settings over again.

Obi ( 2015-01-01 23:41:09 +0200 )edit

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