Ex-Nokia engineers launch new smartphone

A team of ex-Nokia engineers is launching a smartphone based on the former world No 1 cellphone maker's old software, hoping to grab a share of a highly competitive market.

The Jolla handset's Sailfish operating platform is based on MeeGo software, which Nokia abandoned in 2011 when it switched over to using Microsoft Corp's Windows system.

The 4.5-inch phone features an eight megapixel camera, supports fast 4G Internet connections and includes Nokia's HERE maps covering 180 countries. It is compatible with some 85,000 apps by Google's Android.

It will first launch in Finland today and then in 135 other countries.

Jolla was founded in 2011 after Nokia laid off thousands of workers as it lost market share to rivals. It has over 90 employees in Finland and Hong Kong.