The Jolla smartphone was announced and became available as a pre-order on May 20, and the device has already attracted orders from 118 countries around the world, according to new CEO Tomi Pienimaki. For a phone which originally looked like it would only be released in China and Jolla’s home country of Finland, this is great news, and shows the level of interest in the quirky alternative to Android and iOS.

Initially available with three different pre-order options – the 40 euro and 100 euro option both came with goodies and a priority order number, or there was a simple free option – the 40 euro package was withdrawn due to demand, and Jolla opened up the 100 euro option to the rest of Europe, whereas before it was restricted to certain countries.

Pienimaki didn’t reveal the amount of orders it had received, nor did he indicate which package proved to be most popular, but he has said the phone is on schedule to be manufactured this month, and orders should be fulfilled before the end of the year. While we know the basic specs of the phone some details are still to be confirmed, such as the screen resolution, but these should be made public once it’s on the production line. Jolla has so far found funding through Nokia’s Bridge program, and with China Fortune, but Pienimaki expects to be announcing a second round of funding before July.

Jolla isn’t the only new OS likely to hit stores this year, but it’s certainly the one which seems to have the most momentum. Until now Mozilla’s Firefox OS, which has already found its way onto several phones, looked to have the edge, but Jolla is rapidly catching up. With more funding on the way, and a high level of international interest, Jolla is rapidly becoming the one to watch in 2013.

Updated on 06/13/2013 at 06:00 by Andy: Jolla has announced it has signed a deal with Finnish network DNA, which will be the first to offer the Jolla phone in the country. DNA has been involved with Jolla and the Sailfish OS from the start, so the partnership already existed, however it’s further proof Jolla is gaining considerable industry traction.

Article originally published on 06/12/2013.

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