Warning: this is a lengthy post. I can be quiet and reserved until you ask me to talk about something that I’m passionate about, then I can talk (write) for days. This is one of those wordy occasions.
TL;DR - overall 8.5/10 for the size, weight, materials, feel in hand, ergonomics, looks, etc. (May bump it up to a 9 when weight is finalized with a functioning proto, more details below.) Just the external stuff. It’s not perfect, but I like it very much!
Preface: a few of you may know me, but most probably don’t. I used to work for Jolla a loooong time ago (2012-2015). But I have been working at Red Hat since 2016 (in fact I’m typing this one day before my 10th work anniversary), and someone from the Sailfish OS community actually helped me get my first position at Red Hat back then. So I’m forever grateful to Jolla. BUT, I am in no way influenced by Jolla on any of my thoughts shared here (and elsewhere for that matter), I have received no compensation, aside from the privilege of getting one of the very first looks at the hardware (appearance models). While working for Jolla I had “free” devices to use, but they were all prototypes, which I returned when I left. I’ve paid for my own devices to run Sailfish OS for the past 12 years, from Jolla 1, Jolla Tablet, Sony Xperia X, Jolla C, FxTec Pro1, to the latest Jolla C2. The devices you see in the following images are all my own, aside from the Jolla Phone appearance model. I just want to put all these out there, to be open about the situation and where I’m coming from.
Disclaimer: while I’ll be honest about my opinions, I can’t promise to be impartial, nor am I trying to. There are things which I prefer that others may not like, there are things that work for me (and my small hands) but not for you. I’ll do my best to be clear with the reasoning behind why I like or dislike something, and you can decide for yourself whether it’s something that matters to you. Also, I don’t do gadget reviews for a living (nor for fun… work and life keep me busy enough). I’m no pro photographer and what you see here are all taken by me, no edits or airbrushing to make things pretty, including the selfies (oh I wish I could touch-up my face a bit, but I left my mugshots alone 
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How it started
This casual comment was the catalyst - I received a message on the same day from Sami (@spienima) inviting me to make the 8-min trip to Jolla office and take a look at the samples! Haha, be careful what you wish for eh? I even received messages on mastodon and matrix after I posted my comment, from people expressing interest in what I think of the device models if I do get a chance to see them. Well, now I have a mission! That night I took out my Jolla 1 and Jolla C and stared at them nostalgically while scrolling through forum posts on the C2. Then I blocked off a couple hours on my calendar for Friday (luckily I don’t usually get meeting requests on Fridays), and looked forward to this meeting in anticipation.
Like at first sight
I mean, I have already seen the lovely images from Jolla Phone update - Design & appearance models, so it’s not like a complete surprise to see it in person. From the back, it looks great, but from the front, the mock display is very obvious. No matter, we know this is not a functional model. However, the dual tone hardware is beautiful and reminiscent of the Jolla 1 and Jolla C, and I am glad we are back to this design style, after Jolla C2.
Already at this point I’m thinking of the possibility of 3D printed covers. Not an extra cover that goes over the whole phone and making it heavier/bulkier, but the fact that you can remove and replace the back cover - that’s exciting. (We’re not even talking about TOH interface and functionalities here, which is even more exciting.) I like the orange, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. I’ll definitely be 3D printing a purple back cover, and a translucent one, and… ok I’m getting ahead of myself here.
Nice at first touch
While hearing Sami and Raine (@rainemak) elaborate on some of the design choices based on community feedback and available manufacturing options, I was also given a chance to hold and feel the appearance models for myself. It was nice, pleasant, in a good way. I don’t want to say I’m wow-ed (because I wasn’t), but I was not disappointed, given the high expectations. It feels good in my hands, and I think my hands will be happy holding it without cramping from hand acrobatics.
Size
Well, the comment that kicked off this whole thing was about size. I used to play the piano and always struggled with big octave-range chords. My hands are probably of average size for women but smaller than average for Sailfish OS users. It’s an important distinction because I think the Sailfish gestures play a part in our preference for a more reasonable sized device. I can accomplish a lot one-handed with gestures, but if the phone is too big (for my hand) then I won’t be able to balance it and swipe at the same time.
Jolla 1
There’s nice and small, and then there’s TOO small. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Jolla 1 when it first came out - in 2013. I had it in my hand ALL THE TIME. But when I played with it a couple days ago, it felt like a toy, like a kid’s phone. Maybe I’m used to the bigger phones nowadays (well not really, see C2 below), but the reality is most things are designed for a larger screen now than the average screen size in 2013 - from websites and apps to phone parts and accessories. We also do a lot more with our phones - double, maybe triple the amount of activities than a decade ago. From banking to using local transport (it seems like I have to download a different transport app in each city I visit); from keeping connected with colleagues, family and friends around the world, to doom scrolling (ok maybe we should do less of that). Anyway, small phone also means small battery, and that wouldn’t suffice in the current world.
Oh look, I can swipe from both edges on the Jolla 1, but that’s of no use if I can’t do much on the tiny screen with the tiny battery. I could carry spare batteries with me, but that should be for emergencies, swapping batteries should not be something I need to do twice a day.
Jolla C
This is probably the size I was most comfortable with for quite a few years (2016-2020). I used the Jolla C, followed by the Sony Xperia X, both with 5” screens. On the Android side I had the Huawei P10 and Google Pixel 2, both also at this size. (Let’s not debate Android vs SFOS in this thread, my work phones require Google mobile device security. I brought them up to indicate that this was my preferred size at that time, even though they were already being considered as “small” phones).
I remember in 2010 when the 5” Dell Streak came out, it was so “huge” that it was considered a phablet. Within a decade, it was relegated to small phone status.
Jolla C2
In early 2020, I got my hands on the FxTec Pro1, and proudly showed it off at FOSDEM 2020 Sailfish OS dinner (still running stock Android at that time as I haven’t had a chance to flash SFOS before the event. ) The 6” screen didn’t feel like a huge leap from 5” as it balanced the hardware flip-out keyboard and the curved screen was nice for Sailfish gestures. The other phones I used during this time (2020-2025) were also greater than 6” (aside from the “compact flagship” Asus Zenfone 8 at 5.9”) So when the C2 came at the end of 2024, I didn’t think it would be a huge change to go from 6” to 6.52”. I was wrong.
It’s not just about the display size, it’s the combination of height and width and weight… as I’m not able to securely hold the phone without positioning my little finger at the bottom (which will hurt after a short while), I cannot touch and gesture smoothly with one hand. When the phone cover is on, I can’t even reach the middle of the phone. I went back to the Pro1 for my Sailfish needs for most of 2025. Even though I know many people made C2 their daily driver, it was not for me.
Jolla Phone (Jolla 2?)
When I heard about the next gen Jolla Phone and how it’s being defined with the community, I was definitely intrigued and excited. I know many in the community prefer smaller-than-the-current-average-phone-size phones like me. What’s the current average phone size? Well, seeing that Gsmarena considers 6.2” - 6.36” devices as compact phones in 2025 (setting aside flip phones), I’m guessing between 6.3” - 6.5” is the average. For sure there are many phones on the market larger than the C2.
I wasn’t active in the discussions (had health and other issues to deal with for most of last year) but I was observing from the sidelines and happy to see how the community voted. Personally I was hoping for a 6” device. So when it was announced that the new Jolla Phone will be around 6.36”, I was slightly apprehensive.
After handling the sample model for the better part of an hour, I’m apprehensive no more. It fits well in my small-ish hands. So I think for most people it will fit just as good if not better. The dimensions matter a lot, it’s not as wide and tall as the C2, so I don’t need my little finger as the fulcrum. It’s just under the threshold of being too big, and I still kinda wish it was 6”-6.2”, but I can live with this, unlike the C2.
Weight & ergonomics
Size matters, but size isn’t everything. Weight matters too, or more specifically the balance of weight on the device makes a difference how it feels in your hand. When the device is small enough to be enveloped by your hand (like the Jolla 1 or even Jolla C - see how my fingers wrap around the phone), maybe the difference is negligible. But when you have to juggle the phone while holding it, then an imbalance will topple the device out of your hand very quickly. The C2 isn’t exactly top heavy, but when I can’t reach the middle of the phone half the time, it’s prone to topple half the time.
Unfortunately I can’t give the final verdict on the weight balance of the new Jolla Phone based on the appearance models which are missing the innards to provide an accurate estimate. According to Sami, the target weight is 185-195g, which seems very reasonable. The Jolla C2 is 215g (without cover), which to me “feels” like 250g because of the size and material. Plus I have to put an additional cover on the C2. (In comparison my 198g Pixel9 feels light and slippery without the 35g cover that actually makes it feel more balanced in hand.)
With the plastic back covers, which provide more grip and are less slippery, there’s no need to add to the dimensions and weight with extra covers. While the appearance samples felt almost too light at 154g, I can imagine it being nicely balanced with removable battery and back cover at 190g, a nice change from the Fxtec Pro1 at 243g. But yes, “imagining” for now, actual verdict TBD. That’s what’s preventing me from scoring it a solid 9.
I also like the very subtle curve on the display which will make the Sailfish OS gestures more natural and enjoyable, with no phone cover to get in the way of swiping. I’m looking forward to using it with Sailfish OS! As for the notch, I won’t open that can of worms here. I don’t mind it personally, but I also don’t usually use bright wallpapers that accentuate the notch. Plus there’s the notchbar patch!
Side-by-side
Enough words for now, here are some images with J1 + JC + J2 + JC2 together.
The bottoms of the phones are lined up as much as I can - because of the difference in widths (which is the “height” when standing on their sides), they look uneven from the top (the photos with the Jolla notepad). But when I change the angle you can see they are actually lined up (without adjusting the devices).
I love the return of the signature Jolla logo on the top of the phone! It’s a subtle, but still significant, part of the design and branding. Colours are very subjective. I do like the original “Poppy red” on the J1 best, but the current J2 orange does look classy and I will be happy to sport it. Speaking of which, I had to take some selfies with it.
Ok ok the first photo was taken with a wide-angle camera, which makes my face thinner (yay) but also slims the J2 and distorts its aspect ratio. So on the right you have the more accurate look of the device (as well as 50 year old me).
Jolla Office
The current Jolla office is in the Finlayson area, which is close to where I live. It would be nice to have an office so close to home, although after 10 years of remote work, I’m not sure I can get used to office life again 
(I do travel a lot for work so I like the balance of working from home.) Anyway, we had our nice discussion in this Näsijärvi meeting room, after which Sami said I can do whatever I want with the devices and “props” that Raine provided (shirts, notepads, stickers etc.) except for taking home the appearance models. Oh darn 
(I only took my own devices back of course.)
There is also a nostalgia cabinet in the office, filled with devices that paved the road to Sailfish OS, plus most past and present devices that run Sailfish OS. I have the N900, N9, and N950, although I was working on Symbian/S60 rather than Maemo/MeeGo back in Nokia times. I also have many of the J1 TOHs, and hope to see that happen for J2! I’m calling it J2 now but that’s not official! Don’t quote me. Let’s see if I can refer more people for the preorder to reach the 10k milestone.
Epilogue
After I bid farewell to Raine, Sami, and other Jolla Sailors in the office, I met up with someone to sell my Pixel 7a. I was initially planning to put /e/ or grapheneos on it, but needed to make some room for the new Jolla Phone. I must have a thing for orange phones… well if only there were more decent purple devices, my collection would look quite different! In any case, I do see a 3D-printed purple back cover in my future.
The buyer saw my Jolla phones and asked me if I was selling those. I was like NOOOOOOOO….. Over my dead body! (but in a much nicer way and not in so many words.) Speaking of many words, I think I have said enough for the appearance samples. If you’ve read this far, thanks for bearing with me, as I think this is a trip down memory lane more for me than anyone else. I hope it provided a bit of value for the readers 
But of course that doesn’t make much difference whether it’s 5" or 6" or even 7". I can only remove my reading glasses for monitors > 15" 