Jolla Phone 2 & Sailfish OS: A Real Third Option

After a couple weeks of daily-driving Sailfish OS on the new Jolla Phone (2026), here's my take on the European, privacy-first alternative to the Android and iOS duopoly. Design, hardware, cameras, and what makes Sailfish OS special, plus the trade-offs you should know going in! *Chapters* 0:00 Intro 2:11 The Third Option 4:03 Introducing Jolla Phone 5:32 Design 9:04 Performance 10:16 Battery and Battery Life 11:09 Cameras 16:09 Sailfish OS 17:00 What is Sailfish OS? 18:11 General User Experience of Sailfish OS 20:56 Strengths of Sailfish OS 22:27 Weaknesses of Sailfish OS 23:45 App Availability and Compatibility 27:53 App Ecosystem Summary 28:18 Is The Jolla Phone 2 Worth It? *FAQ* Is the Jolla Phone 2 Android or iOS? Neither! It runs Sailfish OS, an independent, Linux-based mobile OS built in Finland. What is Sailfish OS? A privacy-focused, gesture-driven Linux OS, the spiritual successor to Nokia's MeeGo, that can also run Android apps. Can it run Android apps? Yes, opt-in via Jolla's AppSupport (with microG), and you can install from Google Play through Aurora Store without a Google account. Does it have a user-replaceable battery? Yes, a 5500mAh battery held in by a few screws, so you can swap it yourself and extend the phone's life. What is "The Other Half"? Jolla's swappable back cover. It changes the look and carries data over I3C, so Jolla or the community can build hardware add-ons like a headphone jack or a keyboard half. Do banking apps work? Many do (all major Finnish banks); some apps with strict integrity checks may not. *Links* Jolla Phone 2: https://commerce.jolla.com/products/j... Sailfish OS forums (banking & app compatibility list): https://forum.sailfishos.org/t/bankin... Sailfish OS forums: https://forum.sailfishos.org Personal Website: https://joshuastrobl.com *Sources & footage* Apple Event, September 9 (Apple):    • Apple Event — September 9, 2025   "Android 12: Designed for you" (Google):    • #Android12: Designed for you   28 Years Later Director Danny Boyle Innovates with iPhone | Apple TV (Apple):    • 28 Years Later Director Danny Boyle Innova...   Craig Federighi, Web Summit 2021 (sideloading remarks):    • Apple keynote: Privacy and security (Craig...   Tim Cook, VivaTech 2021:    • A live conversation with Tim Cook #VivaTech   NBC News, "Federal judge rules against Google in massive antitrust lawsuit":    • Federal judge rules against Google in mass...   Google I/O 2021:    • Google Keynote - Google I/O ‘21 (Full arch...   Google I/O 2026: https://www.youtube.com/live/wYSncx9zLIU Nextcloud, Frank Karlitschek interview:    • Digital Sovereignty and Nextcloud with Fra...   Proton, Andy Yen interview:    • 100M-User CEO: "Europe Is a Digital Colony...   Jolla Phone Day1 stream (Jolla):    • Jolla Phone Day1   "Jolla - A new beginning" (Jolla):    • Jolla - A new beginning (Official)   Nokia N9 video:    • Official Video of the Nokia N9   Windows Phone 8 / Nokia Lumia 920 hands-on (GSMArena):    • Nokia Lumia 920 hands-on   "Mozilla launches Firefox operating system":    • Mozilla launches Firefox operating system   "Ubuntu for phones - Industry proposition" (Canonical):    • Ubuntu for phones - Industry proposition   European Commission footage is sourced from the EC Audiovisual Service (audiovisual.ec.europa.eu), and U.S. Congressional hearing, court, and federal-agency footage is U.S. Government public domain. Any broadcast news excerpts are short, used for commentary and criticism under fair use, and credited to the outlet. Music & stock footage sourced from Pixabay under the Pixabay Content License. Music: "Dark Ambient - Futuristic - Dystopian (Vector Eleven)" by Ame_Atmos: https://pixabay.com/music/ambient-dar... "Evening Landscape" by SergePavkinMusic: https://pixabay.com/music/ambient-eve... "Educational - Educational Music" by Starostin https://pixabay.com/music/corporate-e... Video: "Winter, Snow, Nature, Landscape, Frost" by XanhSen901: https://pixabay.com/videos/winter-sno... "Drone Footage: Fall From Above" by danielp87: https://pixabay.com/videos/lake-trees... Drone shots from Tampere provided by Tampere Photo Bank Pictures: "Delicate pink and white apple blossoms on a branch" by Balint Henter : https://unsplash.com/photos/delicate-... Sound effects: "park_children_110111.wav" by freesound_community: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/cit... "Crowd_Talking" by freesound_community: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/peo... "Birds singing in and leaves rustling with the wind" by freesound_community: https://pixabay.com/sound-effects/nat...