In my previous hardware update I presented some differences between the old and new hardware, and here’s more concrete information about them.

USB port change

One of the most notable changes from a user’s perspective is with the USB port. We changed from USB (Universal Serial Bus) micro-A type (bottom one in the picture) to USB micro-B type (top one in the picture). As stated earlier this change is done to improve the durability, as with a micro-A type port a user cannot see clearly without looking closely which way the cable should be inserted in the socket. The form of the port does not clearly show this. We noted this also in our internal testing where a couple of USB ports were actually broken by our own developers trying to plug the cable the wrong way into the socket. With the micro-B type this can’t happen, since if a user tries to insert the connector the wrong way, the stress goes to the metal ring outside instead of the small plastic clip inside.

Hall sensor

The other recent change is the addition of Hall sensor, which is located at the top right corner, close to the display border and front camera. As it was added on quite late and we did not have time to finalize all the software bits, it missed the first software release. However, it will be provided in the first update quite shortly after the initial release. Here is a short clip of this functionality with the upcoming software update, which we are already preparing for you.

Backplate printing

One more change that was made already in the previous build (which we totally forgot to mention) is the backplate printing. Originally the logo was printed in landscape, but after some considerations we realized that it works better in portrait. In the following picture you can also see how the regulatory printing will be done on the back panel.

Murphy’s law at it again!

You know the law right? If something can go wrong, it will. And it happened to us this time! We had everything prepared with our partners, PCB’s were done on schedule, the SMT process was done within the planned time-slot, housing was ready, and the only thing that was missing were the actual displays. Yes, the display that we just changed, and even though the display was ordered on time, we faced a really unexpected incident. The shipment from the supplier’s warehouse to the lamination factory (and through customs) had one very small mistake: there was a typo in the address of the shipment and the automated processes associated with the handling of the shipments did not recognize it properly. Because of this the shipment was returned to the origin, and we had to wait for a new shipment. Can you believe it?!

The shipment of displays was sent again from the warehouse last weekend. We received the displays today, and now we can start the display lamination. To make things slightly more exciting and tight for us, there’s also a public holiday in China from the 3rd to 5th of September to commemorate the end of WWII. But rest assured: we will have the devices assembled with good quality in time for shipping.

Many of you have asked about the shipping schedule. Our operations folks will update this in more detail in another blog post this week, but what I can say now is that the first group of contributors from our Indiegogo campaign will receive invitations to the Jolla shop to place their actual orders within a few days to start the delivery process.

Best Regards and with apologies from our side,

Sage