Last chance saloon for Jolla?

General
#1

Hey all,

Long term Nokia-head who loved the N9 then the J1. Currently on the XA2 but I’m now however at the point where I’m strongly considering jumping overboard from Jolla.

The constant issues with loss of audio when making/receiving calls and the fact that sometimes it appears to take 2 attempts for the call to connect have me questioning why I still bother with Jolla when just doing the basics feels like a chore at times.

I’m not technically gifted so the idea of doing anything more than I’ve had to do to flash my current license onto the XA2 is a non-starter for me.

On top of my love for Nokia and how it lead me to Jolla, I’ve always had an aversion for apple & droid products but now with the likes of “de-googled” phones available from both the /e/ foundation and Graphene OS (which was personally recommended by Ed Snowden) tied to the fact that you can now simply buy a Huawei which is obviously going to be google free…im really starting to wonder why I’m still persevering with SFOS.

Has anyone else gone through the same thought process?

If not, what am I missing? Can a Jolla “guru” recommend the “must have” apps? I have downloaded Storeman but can anyone give me a breakdown on the best Jolla set up to run??

Thanks
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#2

You are using a 7-year-old device. How many people you know can still make active use of one?

#3

I have similar situation. I have used XA2 over 2 years now and still my phone calls loss audio several times a month which is annoying because I use my phone for business calls. And the BT has way too many problems in connecting and all the minor bugs. Also the camera software and web browser needs plenty more love. On the other hand the Pure Maps in Jolla store was most welcomed addition.

I loved to use J1 and XA2, but after the existing problems (as mentioned) and user interface regressions (phone dialer menu, pulley menu etc.) I have decided to go to Ubuntu Touch after my XA2 dies. It’s fully open source and app selection is quite nice for me (I don’t use Android apps). I have no hurry to change because XA2 still works OK.

3 Likes
#4

??

Sorry maybe you missed that I’m using an XA2?

1 Like
#5

I must say it was less than clear from your post. I understood your current device was a J1.

#6

fair point. post updated. any suggestions as to how I can get the best out of SFOS?

#7

Mine works like a charm. The disadvantages I have to deal with are:

  • No Bluetooth access on the Android side.
  • Too little flash memory (the 64 GB version was not available here).
  • The infamous GPS lock time issue.
  • No call blacklist.

I have an XA2 Plus and I don’t have the issue you report, and I am happily running Android 10 API on a phone which the manufacturer upgraded only up to Android 9. The battery lasts forever. The display is big and crisp.
As for apps, it depends upon what you need. The only must-haves are Storeman and Alien Dalvik Control. For maps, Pure Maps + OSM Scout Server is a fine native solution. GPSInfo can be useful on the XA2 to help keep the GPS on and avoid losing the position due to the well-known bug. Of course, for Android apps, install F-Droid, Aurora Store and MicroG.

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#8

This sounds unsubstantiated. What makes you say GPSInfo helps with this?

#9

I’ve noticed that some Android apps stop using geolocation when not in foreground. Which is fine, unless reacquiring a fix then takes minutes when returning to the app. In that case keeping GPSInfo running in the background keeps geolocation active.

#10

Keeping GPSInfo on prevents the GPS from turning off when other GPS apps are closed and therefore avoids losing the fix.

#11

I have tried installing F-Droid from the Jolla store but no matter what if I uninstall and reinstall it, the icon never appears, so…I tried downloading the APK for it but cant seem to get the file to actually install, any ideas?

Also, what is Alien Dalvik Control? What does it do and where can I get it?

#12

https://openrepos.net/content/coderus/aliendalvik-control

#13

Alien Dalvik Control is broken for Sailfish 4 with no ETA for a fix.

#14

I haven’t had any issues where I lose audio when on a call. I have had the phone randomly reboot but it’s never been when on a call.

My complaints are about the lack of bluetooth access with Android apps and the almost total lack of GPS functionality with the XA2.

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#15

I just wanted to mention that this changes dramatically with the Xperia 10 II.
Owning both devices (plus an old Xperia X) I could not believe how quickly GPS works on the 10II compared to the XA2+.

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#16

It’s just the “share to Android” part that is broken, the remainder works fine.

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#17

The XA2 so far as I’m concerned hits the sweet spot for size. I don’t much care for the screen ratio of the 10ii.

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#18

Which was primarily the reason I installed Alien Dalvik Control

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#19

hi i am also on xa2 and dont have such problems. debugging on such problems can be very time-consuming. first i would test, if the problem is still there on a fresh, factory reseted xa2 without any openrepos apps. in 90% the cases the problem will be gone after factory reset

#20

Hi explit - off-topic question for you… I have been pulling Aliendalvik files off my XA2 to use on XZ2c, (community port), but port base changed to aarch64. I’m sure there’s not a way to get source for AD files, but is there any way to get aarch64 version with an XA2? I think Xperia 10 has aarch64 and is official, so I assume the files exist, (or?)…