The most popular ones are Android, iOS, Symbian and Windows. They have tasted success and Mozilla has decided to join this bandwagon. Apple and Microsoft had imposed some restrictions on Firefox, which kept the presence of the browser constricted to Android gadgets.
However, Mozilla decided to rise strong by developing the mobile OS based on HTML5 and open web standards. Initially, the OS was named as ‘Boot to Gecko’ and changed to the recognizable and user-friendly title ‘Firefox OS’. Device manufacturers and mobile carriers including Etisalat, Sprint, Smart, DeutscheTelekom, Telenor, Telefonica and Telecom Italia had extended their support to this project.
Mozilla took pride in unveiling the two new devices, which will be shipped to developers to create apps. Both the devices are expected to be shipped by the start of February. Mozilla has never made any arrangements for pre-ordering these new revolutionary devices.
According its prior announcements Firefox OS has been built on open web standards and will be available to all by the end of this year. Geeksphone, the company in Spain has bagged the offer to build handsets for the Mozilla’s Operating System. Mozilla is all set to fight against the OS giants like iOS, Android and to grab the attention of carriers, handset makers and developers.
This year might get a little tougher as there are other competitors like Jolla’s Sailfish, Samsung’s Tizen and Canonical’s Ubuntu. Surprisingly, most of these do not intend to wade through the well stabilized and saturated Europe and U.S markets. Mozilla has decided to introduce Firefox operating system in Brazil and Jolla in China. They have plans to slowly spread the operating system across other territories.
Mozilla has targeted the emerging markets, keeping in mind that they have a better chance of success in this market. These markets step into the smartphone world for the first time and Mozilla has taken a wise decision. They are also markets, which are less penetrated by iOS and Android. Mozilla also has plans to sell its handsets at low costs.
That doesn’t mean they compromise on apps. HTML5 apps are being created; however, they can never be compared with the well established Android and iOS apps. On the other hand, the handsets are expected to do a good job in emerging markets.
The handsets that Mozilla plans to ship to developers come in two models.
• Keon Model
This model comes with a 1.2GHz Qualcomm processor, 4GB ROM and S4 CPU.
• Peak Model
This model has the same processor with 8 MP camera and a faster CPU.
Experts state that these phones will definitely grab the attention of the entry-level smartphone users who do not like to spend much on smartphones. Mozilla recently announced that the apps on Firefox OS based handsets can be distributed on your own sites, or stores, which operate based on the open-app store technology of Mozilla.
Andrea Walters