From Vishnu Anand
Shanghai, July 16 2015: On Day 2 of the ongoing,  Mobile World Congress here, Indian handset manufacturer Intex has announced its collaboration withFinland-based  Jolla, makers of the Sailfish  operating system.

Sailfish is touted as the more 'open' and security-focussed alternative to Android and iOS for smartphones.

Based on Linux, the OS has steadily been attracting a dedicated developer ecosystem. Jolla, the makers of Sailfish recently announced Sailfish 2.0, which will make its way into an Intex device around November this year....the first handset maker anywhere  to bring this OS to a phone.

Speaking to IndiaTechOnline, Keshav Bansal, Director, Intex said, "We are excited to be the first movers with Sailfish 2.0 powered devices. It will provide smartphones in India, additional choice, specifically on local language content. Third party content providers are already creating India-specific apps for Sailfish."

Jolla and Intex have unveiled the reference design of the upcoming smartphone, and IndiaTechOnline got exclusive access to the device. Since Sailfish is fundamentally based on swipe navigation, the user interface is smooth and easy to use, with apps and content displayed visually in buckets, making it seem well organized. Compared to Android navigation, Sailfish organizes the content more vertically than horizontally, which is a refreshing change for regular smartphone users. However, if you do want to invoke an Android app, the device would switch over to regular Android-based app navigation.

Intex plans to provide both Android as well as Sailfish apps on the upcoming device -- the Intex Aqua Fish. Having ensured smooth transition, the company has standalone Sailfish devices on its radar. Bansal said, "We want to provide as much choice as possible to price-conscious Indian consumers. To begin with, we will offer choice, then we will wait and see how they respond to Sailfish."
The Intex Aqua Fish will be priced under Rs. 10,000.
For a few days we have a video on Sailfish 2.0 in our Tech Video spot on the home page
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Intex mobiles powered with Sailfish OS will offer following benefits:

• Users will get the best multitasking experience. Can smoothly open all apps available on the screen and with ease manage all the running apps without entering to app switcher to switch between apps.
• Better User interface (UI). Users can change their UI based on mood and environment. OS also provides a rich set of UI elements, to create animated, touch-enabled UIs and lightweight applications.
• It will enhance faster interaction. Users can operate their mobile with natural hand movements via gestures, making mobiles super-fast.
• Intex mobile users can use Android Apps as the OS is compatible. Users can download all latest ones via Jolla Store and other Android app marketplaces.  (from Intex handout)