Last time I wrote a long article about ‘Smartphone Duopoly,’ Sailfish OS, and explained why duopoly is terrible. Today I want to talk about my experiences using the Sailfish OS system as a daily driver.

Security

Sailfish OS is a secure system. Beneath the surface, Linux is powering the phone. That means security principles come out of the box. Due to its open-source nature, bugs and vulnerabilities are noticed and addressed.

I attached the picture to showcase the layers of security in Sailfish OS. I especially like the encryption and data backup aspects. Apple and Android also encrypt devices, but they don’t have that integration layer where you can back up everything with a Nextcloud instance.

Effortless User Experience

Sailfish OS has a polished UX. While using this system, I noticed that controlling a phone is an effortless experience. For example, I need to swipe to reach my destination, which requires little effort. On the other hand, Apple and Android are all about clicking more.

I also like how the system integrates various components. For example, I don’t need to unlock my phone to see the weather information. I can see a lot without interacting with the phone. Such a UX is beneficial for a glance without sucking you in.

Apple and Android designs are very dull. As I mentioned before, they keep iterating, not innovating.

Apps

Because Sailfish OS supports Android apps, your phone can become a rich experience with less friction. For example, I could install finance apps such as Mobilepay and Danske Bank. One keeps spamming me with messages about a need for Google Play Services, but the irony is that app still works. The same goes for the DSB app. Lots of noise, and yet it still works!

Not all apps are like that. For example, the Yubico Authenticator app crashes every time I try to run it. Revolut keeps complaining about a need for the latest version. Unfortunately, there is a mismatch between Aptoide and Google Play Store versions.

If you don’t trust Aptoide, there is an F-droid store. However, it has a smaller selection of apps and generally fewer official apps. I was able to find Bitwarden and Tutanota apps. For Signal, I downloaded a raw APK file from their official webpage. The same goes for WhatsApp.

I haven’t used the Jolla store much as I found the variety lacking. However, I understand why it is the case. When you are a small company fighting a Goliath, it is hard to attract developers who can code and publish apps on their store. Economic incentives are essential!

Summary

Sailfish OS as a daily driver is a doable proposition. It is possible to run Android apps. However, from time to time, you will run into some trouble.

Running Sailfish OS on Sony Xperia 10 with my usage patterns lasts only one day. After that, I have to charge during the night. The performance itself could be better.

I have been running Sony Xperia 10 as my daily driver for two weeks. There might be more bugs I will discover later.

Sailfish OS has a lot of potential, and if you care about privacy and security, I highly recommend it.