“You have my bow. You have my axe. And you have my giant eagles that we can just flight straight to Mordor and be back this afternoon.”
Gathering allies and sharing some details, the Mozilla blog discussed the plan that will introduce a Firefox Mobile OS. Dropping the “Boot-to-Gecko” name, Mozilla will use the popular Firefox brand to push the mobile platform. It will be based on HTML5, based on open web standards, with all capabilities coming as HTML5 applications.
The blog post included a global list of telecom companies that are already on-board and will back the device as a newcomer to the smartphone industry. Those include Deutsche Telekom, Etisalat, Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefónica and Telenor. TCL Communications Technology (as Alcatel One Touch) and ZTE will be the first manufacturers for Firefox OS-powered devices. They will utilize Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processors. The first device is expected to launch in early 2013 in Brazil.
The platform’s use of HTML5 and other optimizations is expected to remove unnecessary middleware layers and allow a lower price point for smartphones. Mozilla is ensuring the project is fully open and the required Web APIs will be submitted to W3C for standardization.
“The introduction of the open mobile OS continues the Mozilla mission to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web for users and developers. As billions of users are expected to come online for the first time in the coming years, it is important to deliver a compelling smartphone experience that anyone can use,” said Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla. “The large number of operators and manufacturers now supporting this effort will bring additional resources and diversity to our global offerings.”
The article concludes with quotes from executives of the companies that have signed on to the project, including this one from Sprint.
Fared Adib, Product Chief at Sprint said, “Sprint continues to support an open mobile ecosystem that enables choice for Sprint customers and a healthy competitive ecosystem for the technical community. Firefox Mobile OS can help us drive an HTML 5-based platform for creating lower cost smartphone options for prepaid, postpaid and wholesale customers.”
