Mozilla, Foxconn Confirm Firefox OS Partnership

hypnosec writes "Mozilla has confirmed reports that indicated a probable collaboration with Foxconn for development of Firefox OS based devices. Announcing the 'wide ranging partnership' with Foxconn, Mozilla's SVP of Mobile Devices noted in a blog post that collaboration between the two companies 'demonstrates the full potential of Firefox OS,' and it would not only enable the smartphone 'but also a wide range of mobile devices.'"

Comments

Browser/OS

[SJHillman]

I suppose this means that Opera is that now the only one of the Big Five browsers that doesn't also have an OS (or several)

deep inside foxconn

[decora]

ming- dude so which line are you on?

chen- Im on Iphone again.

ming- Man that sucks...

chen- Yeah... which line are you on?

ming- Im on this new thing, Firebear or something

chen- Firefox?

ming- Yeah thats it... firefox

chen- That's awesome dude!

ming- What do you mean?

chen- Look. Iphone. That's Apple. They are nut jobs. Remember when that guy got tortured for losing a prototype and he killed himself?

ming- I do, I do. But ain't every tech company like that? Obsessed with security? I mean, iphone, blackberry, samsung, its all the same shit.

chen- No man, no. Firefox is this thing called 'open source'. they don't care if you lose a prototype - they give away their prototype designs for free.

ming- Ahhh sounds like a bunch of hippie bullshit to me. How can they make money? its Bs. they are gonna be just as secretive as apple. watch. some body is going to kill themselves on the firebear line just like every other line.

chen- Look man. All I'm saying is. Id rather be on your line than on my line.

ming- Well, I'd rather be with my girlfriend back home.

chen- So would I

ming- Shut the fuck up

wackenhut security guard: Back to work!!!!

FireFoxconn

[Spy Handler]

they can name their new joint venture FireFoxconn

Re:FireFoxconn

[HtR]

Word is they want to expand into content, maybe with a built-in RSS feed of headlines from a news organization.

Too bad there's no real news company with a similar name.

Who is the market?

[guanxi]

Who is the market for Firefox OS? Current smartphone users? People who can't afford high-power equipment (e.g., in developing economies)?

I love the idea of an FOSS mobile device OS designed for end-user control, but I'm not sure if Mozilla is designing it for my needs, or how they plan to get market share.

Re: Who is the market?

[Belial6]

If the OS runs half way decent, I could see lots of sales in business environments where the device isn't really a phone and the device is issued for use during the employees shift only. Think restaurants, retail, warehouses, etc. Of course, that is only the case if it has an end cost less than Android.

Re:Who is the market?

[VortexCortex]

people who like to compile their own software from source code... that is their target market.

There are two models, ones lower powered, ones higher end. So, what about folks who want to use the same app on their desktop as on their phone? It's HTML5. That means THE EXACT SAME development time I put in to make that web app, or HTML5 game can be leveraged both on the web, and with little or no effort (a manifest file and zipped directory) I can sell that app for Firefox OS -- Remove the damn ads. (Because you chuckle heads won't pay for an app available through a browser, but put the same code in an app store, all of a sudden 99 cents isn't a bad price for no ads... grr). Here's the interesting thing. My HTML5 apps / games have tools built in HTML5. That means my engine dev kit can be used ON THE PHONE. That means you can use your mobile device TO MAKE MONEY by creating apps that your can use on the moble OR on the Desktop.

Look at iOS, Android, Blackberry....... What's the one thing a PC can do that these devices can not do? MAKE SOFTWARE. "compile their own source code" -- You Fool! How do you think you're able to render this page, hu?! YOU COMPLIED AND RAN THE SOURCE CODE.

Re:Who is the market?

[Lennie]

You actually have it wrong.

There are over 6 billion phone users in the world and only 1 billion smartphone users.

There is a lot more markets that smartphones can expend to.

That is why Mozilla and their partners are talking about markets like Brazil and India.

Re:Who is the market?

[JanneM]

Here's my possible use-case for it:

I have a Nexus 7. That's what I use for apps, email and games 95% of the time. It's light and portable, the screen is large enough to see clearly with my middle-aged eyes, and I can at least write shorter emails and stuff on it.

My Android phone, on the other hand, is mostly for receiving notifications, reading the occasional message and, now and again, making phone calls. It also acts as my tether for the N7 when I don't have other connectivity. Very occasionally I can't bring the N7 for whatever reason, and then it temporarily doubles up as my primary device; I don't expect or want to use it for everything the N7 does, as it's too frustrating and painful.

So what I would want is a companion phone. Reasonably small, so I can bring it everywhere I can't bring a tablet; and quite cheap (so I don't have to worry about dropping it or anything). It does _not_ have to do everything the N7 does. And in fact, all the critical things for me are already available as online web apps; I could live quite comfortably using only the browser interface for such a backup device even if there were no native apps at all.

It would ideally be ~3.5-4", splash and impact resistant, largish battery, and be able to offer tethering with Wifi. Actual performance specs, memory and so on really is less important. to me.

Re:Who is the market?

[Karlt1]

Here's the interesting thing. My HTML5 apps / games have tools built in HTML5. That means my engine dev kit can be used ON THE PHONE.

Apple 2007: You don't need native apps, you can do everything within the browser....

Developers complain

Apple 2008: Here is a native app store.

-----

Palm 2009: We have a great OS that you can write apps with by using your existing Web development skills

Developers Complain

Palm releases a native SDK
----

RIM: We have this great OS that you can do all of your development using our HTML based APIs!

Developers Complain

RIM releases a native SDK

That means you can use your mobile device TO MAKE MONEY by creating apps that your can use on the moble OR on the Desktop.

Write once, run anywhere.....

Where have I heard that before and how did that work out last time?

Re:Who is the market?

[rtb61]

You can bet Foxcon will be exploring every possible avenue for a future beyond a declining iDevice. It would be supremely foolish of them to ride the iDevice to oblivion. So now compete with Android or jump in the highly competitive battlefield that is Android. Obviously Linux and Firefox are alternatives a way to differentiate yourself and a possible way to gain market share on things other than price. Foxcon want's to gain market share in notebooks, tablets and phones simultaneously, all with no real brand recognition, perhaps they can buy Nokia.

Johnny-come-latelies

[ebno-10db]

EMACS was an OS before the web browser was even invented.

In other words...

[Bill_the_Engineer]

Mozilla will purchase some computer devices from OEM supplier Foxconn, load Mozilla OS on them and make them available for resale.

Re:In other words...

[rasmusbr]

Mozilla will purchase some computer devices from OEM supplier Foxconn, load Mozilla OS on them and make them available for resale.

More likely the other way around: Foxconn, the much bigger of the two, will use Firefox OS as a stepping stone to learn how to make their own OS in an attempt to integrate more of the value chain into their company.

Re:Wow that was surprising.

[MrEricSir]

Foxconn hates producing products for Apple, is actively seeking other partners.

Foxconn's customer list includes HP, Dell, Acer... pretty much every major computer company in the world. But don't let facts get in the way of your blind consumerism!

Smartphone surcharge

[tepples]

There are over 6 billion phone users in the world and only 1 billion smartphone users.

The 5 billion other phone users include dumbphone users and land line users.

To get people to upgrade from dumbphones to smartphones, Mozilla is going to have to get past the fact that carrying a dumbphone and a small Wi-Fi-only tablet costs substantially less per month than carrying a smartphone. At least in my country, CDMA2000 carriers won't activate a smartphone without a data plan, and the larger of the two GSM carriers is known for cramming a data plan onto any voice-only SIM put into a device with a smartphone IMEI.

To get householders to upgrade from land lines to smartphones, you're going to have to get the price of a "family plan" down near the price of one land line phone shared by the whole household. In my country, magicJack provides home VoIP service for less than $3 per month to households that have always-on Internet through any provider.

Everyone's missing the most interesting part!

[caspy7]

Dr. Li Gong, SVP of Mobile Devices, President of Asia Operations, and CEO of Mozilla Taiwan (cited in the press announcement) also posted on his blog about the partnership. https://blog.mozilla.org/ligong/2013/06/03/foxconn-joins-the-firefox-os-eco-system/

This line in particular stuck out to me.

Foxconn stated that they intend to have FFOS running on all categories of the “8 screen” devices, from smartphone to tablets to laptops to TVs and outdoor signage.

Laptops, TVs and outdoor signage? Ambitious plans.