The creator of one of the most popular Internet browsers, Mozilla, is preparing to release its ‘Firefox OS’ operating system for mobile phones.
Starting out as the ‘Mozilla Firefox Project’, the brainchild of web developers Dave Hyatt and Blake Ross, the name ‘Mozilla’ got famous as the Firefox web browser became one of the world’s most popular pieces of software to browse the web, an independent alternative Internet Explorer’s oft criticised structure. Now, the open web specialists are a well-known name and they are ready to join the big leagues as the Firefox OS is preparing to launch.
Allowing mobile phone devices to become the world’s very first ‘open web’ phones, Mozilla are partnering with 4 different mobile phone manufacturers to bring their operating system to consumers – Alcatel, LB, Huawei and ZTE. Mozilla have also teamed up with 18 different mobile service operators for the Firefox OS devices including Telefonica, Sprint and China Unicom (the entire list of operators can be read here).
The main feature in the Firefox OS is that it will allow users to “instantly create a one-time use or downloadable app”, with Mozilla really pushing the idea that Firefox OS mobile devices are blank canvases for the user to customise adding that “creating and consuming these apps on demand puts you in complete control of your app and smartphone experience and will make it possible for you to get the exact content you want, when you want it.”
In turn, Mozilla say that the Firefox OS will launch boasting other features such as the Firefox browser, better and more specific search (that searches both the web and within apps at the same time), the Firefox Marketplace, and, to top it all off, Mozilla are promising that Firefox OS devices will go on sale at a “price you want in a smartphone”.
These features and a likely quite affordable cost will see the range of Firefox OS devices sell well when they launch across South America and Europe in Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela, with more countries to be announced.
According to Mozilla, Firefox OS will be released later this year.
Source : slashgear
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