Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

First Firefox Mobile OS Phones Announced

Posted by samzenpus on from the in-the-beginning dept.

judgecorp writes "The first devices running Firefox Mobile OS, originally known as Boot to Gecko, have been announced. TCL and ZTE are making the phones, which will show up on Brazil's Telefonica Vivo network. Other operators are planning to give the phones a try. From their blog: 'Device manufacturers TCL Communication Technology (under the Alcatel One Touch brand) and ZTE today announced their intentions to manufacture the first devices to feature the new Firefox OS, using Snapdragon processors from Qualcomm Incorporated, the leader in smartphone platforms. The first Firefox OS powered devices are expected to launch commercially in Brazil in early 2013 through Telefónica’s commercial brand, Vivo.'"

6 of 116 comments (clear)

  1. Do we need another mobile OS? by rodrigoandrade · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Serious question.

    Besides the heavyweight iOS and Android, there are Bada, Symbian, Tizen, Windows Mobile/Phone, RIM...

    Ah crap, full list here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_operating_system

    Do we really need another OS with a .0001 market share?

    1. Re:Do we need another mobile OS? by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, any other stupid questions?

      More competition is better, without it you get the stagnation that desktops have been since the 90s.

    2. Re:Do we need another mobile OS? by Amouth · · Score: 4, Insightful

      that's only because RIM's radar was broken - everyone elses radar saw it coming before Apple even confirmed it's existence.

      --
      '...if only "Jumping to a Conclusion" was an event in the Olympics.'
    3. Re:Do we need another mobile OS? by pmathew · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If they play their cards right it wont be a .0001% . We need an OS out of the clutches of microsoft, google and apple,from somebody we trust more with our personal data . So far Firefox is the Mr. Clean and that is a brand image it has worldwide . Also using a standard compliant language (html) for development they will attract a lot of developers as learning curve may be small ( I hope so) . RIM recognized the need for momentum with apps when they started designing QNX based blackberry OS but they chose the alternative of android emulation i guess. But somehow i feel that choice of Mozilla is better . With Regards to Bada Tizen et al , i dont think anybody other than avid tech readers may have heard of them however good they may be . But even a layman may be willing to try something from makers of firefox . Branding is what makes selling a tad lot easier . And if quality is good people should stick .

    4. Re:Do we need another mobile OS? by h4rr4r · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes, it was. MS Monopolized the market, then sucked out all the profit. This meant that hardware vendors did not have the money to take risks.

  2. Commitment? by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I didn't learn from TFAs what Mozilla's commitment is to this. It seems like a good idea, but Mozilla has such a long history of abandoning really good ideas when they turn out not to be easy.

    --
    My God, it's Full of Source!
    OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)