Jolla has announced that it will be partnering with mi-Fone to bring Sailfish OS based devices into the African continent. This announcement was made earlier at the MWC 2016.
The first mi-Fone device powered by Sailfish OS is expected to hit selected African markets in Q2/2016 combined with a service offering tailored for mass-market African consumers.
According to Antti Saarnio, Chairman of the Board of Jolla, “We, together with mi-Fone strongly believe that Africa needs its own mobile ecosystem where Sailfish OS can be a strong independent building block. mi-Fone as an African brand is a natural device partner for us. When we then integrate leading banks, ecommerce platforms and other services into Sailfish OS we can truly offer something meaningful for consumers.”
In response, Alpesh Patel, Founder and CEO of mi-Fone comments: “We believe the real value for consumers comes from experiences. This is where Sailfish OS offers mi-Fone great opportunities to build differentiation and develop locally relevant offerings. We also believe that our African consumers will appreciate Sailfish OS’s focus on openness and privacy.”
