Intex Technologies has announced that it will produce 4G-enabled smartphones running the Sailfish operating system produced by Finnish company Jolla.

The phones, which are expected to be available in mid-November, will be priced under ₹10,000. They will be sold exclusively through online retailer Snapdeal.

Sailfish OS is a reincarnation of the Linux-based MeeGo operating system that was developed by Nokia. MeeGo was abandoned by Nokia in favour of Windows as part of their partnership with Microsoft.

Intex showcased Sailfish-based phones at the Mobile World Congress in Shanghai based on the Sailfish Reference Platform. The hardware specifications of the production models are yet to be finalised, but Intex has confirmed that they will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.

The devices will feature a Sailfish app store that will provide native apps and a selection of over one lakh Android apps. Jolla has indicated that they are open to additional partners coming on board with the aim of creating an India-specific OS experience.

According to Antti Saarnio, Jolla’s Executive Chairman, Sailfish is an important effort towards encouraging differentiation and the growth of open platforms in the Indian mobile market. “We have seen a lot of interest among Indian mobile device manufacturers, digital media houses, and operators, and they are all very keen to work with an alternative to the currently dominating mobile operating systems. India needs and deserves its own regional mobile ecosystem,” he said.

In line with Narendra Modi's ‘Make in India’ programme, Intex is building a 20 lakh sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Greater Noida that will be used to produce these phones.

The writer is in Shanghai at the invitation of Intex

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