Firefox OS-Powered Smartphones Offered To Programmers

Firefox OS-Powered Smartphone

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It seems Mozilla is getting serious with the Firefox OS-powered smartphones as it is reportedly offering a developer phone to programmers who will make apps for the Firefox Marketplace.

Havi Hoffman of Mozilla posted recently that the company are willing to make the apps that on the Marketplace if the programmers have a great idea for an app and can create it. The company will also provide a Firefox OS Developer Preview device to the programmers, which they can use to develop the app. The Firefox OS is expected to be formally launched by summer.

Hoffman added that once the Firefox OS-powered smartphones become available in the market, the programmers will have the chance of being the first ones to post their apps on the Firefox Marketplace. A number of users in selected markets will be looking for apps that they can use on their smartphones. These apps may include games, utilities, tools, entertainment, sports and other apps.

Since the apps for the Firefox OS are browser-based, they are expected to load websites that are specially designed for mobile devices. This will allow the OS of Mozilla to start strong since it can already load a number of popular websites.

The challenge that programmers will face is how to create an app that is suitable for devices that have limited hardware capabilities. The company is also aiming to ensure that these apps will work on these devices. The first FirefoxOS-powered smartphones were intended to be promoted in developing markets, where the price tag is an important consideration when consumers acquire a smartphone.

The first-generation phones using the Firefox OS were unveiled by Mozilla during the Mobile World Congress last February. They became available in the recently through Geeksphone. Sony, LG, ZTE, and Alcatel are expected to released their own models of a Firefox OS-powered smartphone, although the launch schedule for these devices remains uncertain for the moment.

High-End Firefox OS-Powered Smartphones In The Pipeline

Firefox OS-Powered Smartphone

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Not too long ago a report revealed the availability of Firefox OS-powered smartphones. These smartphones are budget models and were mainly marketed in developing markets such as Brazil. However, a Mozilla executive revealed that a high-end device may be released by Sony using the OS.

Mozilla mobile devices senior vice president Li Gong revealed that the company is discussing with Sony on the type of device that the company may release into the market. The Firefox OS is aiming to enter a market that is currently being dominated by the Android of Google and iOS of Apple. The company initially released budget smartphones with the Keon and the Peak, which were available through Geeksphone.

Despite using low-end devices as its entry into the smartphone market, Mozilla is reportedly working with other companies in the hope of offering high-end Firefox OS-powered smartphones. Gong revealed that the company aims to enter the high-end market although it may take time to put up an ecosystem.

He also revealed that a number of manufacturers are already developing their own Firefox OS-powered smartphones. These manufacturers include Alcatel, Huawei, LG, Sony and ZTE.  There are also eighteen telecom operators that have indicated their interest in using the OS.

Gong also indicated that the company is taking a pure approach for its OS. It is not limited to being an open source program but it also goes through an open process.

The Android is being promoted by Google as open-source software. However, it does not allow manufacturers and mobile service providers any inside information on its development and its unreleased versions. The Android can be modified by the partners of the company after the OS is released into the market.

Despite these pronouncements, industry watchers are skeptical on the impact of Firefox OS-powered smartphones in the mobile market. Its late entry into the market and the presence of similar open-source OS are some of the obstacles that Mozilla will have to deal with in the market.

However, Gong is optimistic about the entry of the operating system of Mozilla in the market. He indicated that some people thought it was a foolish decision to start the project. The company believes that need for a third OS is strong among business. This is the reason why the company continued with the project with the end-goal of release more Firefox OS-powered smartphones into the market.

Firefox OS-powered Smartphones, Anyone?

Firefox OS

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Move over Android and iOS, the Firefox OS-powered Keon and Peak are in town. The two budget models designed to allow developers to create Web applications for the open-source operating system of Mozilla are currently being offered by Geeksphone.

Developers interested in creating applications, web-based or otherwise, can use the two smartphones to test their creations. The Keon has a price tag of around $143 while the Peak can be acquired at around $234.

The price for the smartphones is way cheaper compared to unlocked models of high-end smartphones in the market. The low price for these Firefox OS-powered smartphones is made possible due to the browser-based strategy of the company. The low price point of the smartphones allows the company to offer them to developing markets like Brazil.

By 2014, a number of mainstream smartphones using the Firefox OS of Mozilla may be offered by Alcatel, Huawei, LG Electronics, Sony, and ZTE.

The Keon features a 3.5-inch multi-touchscreen, 1GHz Cortex A5 processor from Qualcomm,512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, 3MP camera, proximity sensor, GPS receiver, and an accelerometer. On the other hand, the Peak will come with a 4.3-inch multi-touch qHD IPS display screen, dual-core 1.2GHz 8225 processor from Qualcomm, 512MB RAM, 4GB internal storage, 8MP camera at the back, 2MP camera in front, proximity sensor, GPS receiver, and an accelerometer.

The introduction of the Keon and the Peak is a major step for Mozilla since the devices provide them with a foothold in the competitive mobile device market. The non-profit organization currently has a Firefox for the Android OS although it is not quite popular. It also faces a number of obstacles in bringing the browser into Windows and iOS-powered devices.

In order for the organization to make its OS popular among consumers, it is essential to have some major mobile service providers to give it a boost.

Although the consumer-friendly versions of the Firefox OS-powered smartphones will not be available for some time, the developer devices will allow programmers to create applications for the OS prior to its introduction into the market. Emulators can be used for smartphones but these are not devices using the actual OS.

The Firefox OS appears to have an advantage over other mobile OS since it will have some applications ready before the actual devices will be released into the market. In comparison, the iOS and Android devices were released even before applications were designed for them.

However, a number of developers were eager in developing applications for the iOS and the Android. Mozilla aims to simulate this enthusiasm through the release of the Keon and the Peak through Geeksphone. The first Firefox OS-powered devices are expected to be released into the US market by 2014.