maemo.org - Talk - Jolla User Experience Thread

I got my device from Narinkkatori Wednesday and after few days with it, I can say that I like my Jolla a lot and don't see any possibility to going back to other mobiles. There are missing features, some bugs and usability issues, but I think that I can live with it anyway. This post is mainly about positive things I have noticed in these few days.

Sailfish:

Task switching and multitasking is easily the best feature of the Sailfish OS. You can change between different applications faster and easier than any other mobile OS. I would say that this is killer feature of this operating system and it puts other mobile OS's on shame how difficult it is to change between tasks on them.
Accept/Cancel inside applications is very fast to use and so is getting back to previous page on applications. It took some time to get used to these features though.
Closing applications with a swipe down is nice feature from N9.
When deleting some file, item or selecting some features you have few second to change your mind. Nice little detail I haven't seen on other OS's.
You can select at first start which social network accounts and applications you want to take in use and It installs only those you need. If you don't need some of the applications phone will not install them at all. It's also great that, almost all Jolla applications come from Jolla store, so you don't need to wait whole operating system to be upgraded when some application gets bug fixes or new features.
Covers are easy way to have some functionality and control on background applications.
I noticed that default browser doesn't work on landscape mode only after one friend told that to me :)
Biggest problems I have with ambience chancing (swipe form left or right on task switcher or lock screen). I found myself way too many times from ambiance change menu. Usually I go there when I unlock the phone and swipe from right to left. These times I'm trying to go task switcher but found myself from ambiance changer. Also notification centre gesture (swipe from down to up) has been bit difficult. I don't always remember that another swipe from down to up (or up to down) takes me back to application I was using and many times I found myself from the task switcher instead (I swipe from right to left).
Getting used to all these gestures takes definitely some time and it helps (or might make life more difficult on some cases) if you know how to use N9. This is not android or IOS where you just flick you finger very fast and tap and select items. I suggest that when you get Jolla/SailfishOS phone on your hand first time, make all the gestures slowly at first. When you get used to them you can increase your speed very easily and after that you most probably don't want to go back to your old phone :)

Jolla:

Phone feels great on my hand and it has has enough processor power and memory at least for normal use. If size was little bit smaller I could use it easily as a one hand phone. Now it is bit difficult to reach top left corner and close applications when operating phone on one hand.
Most important feature of the phone, GSM/3G calls have been working every time and sound quality has been good. I have not yet taken the phone in the most difficult areas, so don't know how it will behave then.
Camera is not very good, but I must say that I have been used to Nokia 808 Pureview quality level on mobile phone photos.
I wait eagerly what other half will bring in the future. If there is decent keyboard other half coming I'm sure to get that one.
Sound quality is very good at least with decent in ear headphones. I should note that, there might be some problems with headphones which have integrated microphone. I noticed quite disturbing noise with Ultimate Ears headphones /w integraded microphone when sound level was very low. This noise went completely away when I put cable which has only left and right channel activated and mic is disabled. I don't have any other compatible headphones with microphones so can't say is the fault on Jolla or my headphones.
Battery has lasted only one day of active use for me. I have FB chat and gtalk always active and email is checked once per hour. I have been using it more than usually but it still seems that Jolla eats battery faster than some other phones.
It is nice to have notification led back on phone.
HW buttons have been taken to absolute minimum on this phone. Only button I have been missing from other phones is dedicated camera button. It is good that Jolla managed to get completely rid of home, back and find buttons.

Applications:

Phone application is simple to use and it just works.
Messages application has many great features. When you open it first, it list your last chats and text messages. It even shows if your friend are online. When you have active chat and you want to call your friend, just swipe right to left and you are taken to contacts address book page.
Browser is ok. It hides task bar automatically when you scroll down and it comes back when scrolling up. Mobile web pages work very well with it. Some of the big desktop pages can make it very slow and unusable mainly because of missing landscape mode.
Camera application is simple and it has only basic features.
Address book has many nice features. It shows if your favourite contacts are online and it also lists last contacts you have been in touch. If you have lot's of contacts it has decent search feature.
Jolla store needs lots of work. First page is way too crowded with all likes, favourites and comments. Installing applications is easy, just tap install or swipe right to left on application page.
Map application is simple. It has lots of point of interests (probably from here platform where map also comes) and it can show routes.
Calendar is good for my use because I don't sync my calendar on cloud. Birthdays are included on own calendar and it can be hide. Calendar shows also week number when you swipe from the month view.
Documents application seems to be viewer only and it shows at least PDF-files. All files are added there automatically from phone and microSD card. Documents can be shown also in landscape mode. I have not tested any other file types. Zooming large PDF-documents makes it very slow.
Gallery shows pictures and videos (also from MicroSD card). It is also possible to make ambience from the images on the phone.
Media player founds all music from the phone and microSD card automatically. It makes own category for playlists, all songs, albums and artist. Album covers are shown, if included in the file. There is small gap when song changes.
Email is simple to use and it has all the basic features I need. There is one annoying bug. When I receive new email notification and select that message from the notification view, Email application is opened correctly but message is not shown. I need go back to mail box and select message again to read it.
Clock has possibility set recurring alarms and days can be shown. It just works.
Android support is bit buggy especially after new android applications are installed. Applications seems to open but then they just shutdown without any reason. After a while everything works like a charm and skype or whatsapp can be open hours without any problems. I have installed Android applications from Jolla store, Yandex, Amazon appstore, aptoide and directly downloaded apk's. All applications I have tried have installed and worked at least partially. here is the list I have used:

- Angry Birds Star Wars - works
- Firefox - it starts and works also in landscape mode. Haven't used it much.
- Netflix - videos are shown with good quality, sound is bit out of sync.
- WhatsApp - basic chat works. Can't take images with the app.
- Skype - have called few calls and it works.
- Sports Tracker - doesn't get GPS lock.
- IP Cam viewer lite - can show video and control web cameras.

If multiple android applications are open at the same time, only last one used is shown on app switcher.