Mozilla Drops $25 Smartphone Plans, Will Focus On Higher Quality Devices

An anonymous reader writes: When Mozilla developed Firefox OS, its goal was not to provide the best smartphone experience, but to provide a "good enough" smartphone experience for a very low price. Unfortunately, these cheap handsets failed to make a dent in the overall smartphone market, and the organization is now shifting its strategy to start producing a better experience for better devices. CEO Chris Beard said, "If you are going to try to play in that world, you need to offer something that is so valuable that people are willing to give up access to the broader ecosystem. In the mass market, that's basically impossible." Of course, when moving to the midrange smartphone market, or even the high end, there's still plenty of competition, so the new strategy may not work any better. However, they've hinted at plans to start supporting Android apps, which could help them play catch-up. Beard seems fixated on this new goal: "We won't allow ourselves to be distracted, and we won't expand to new segments until significant traction is demonstrated." He adds, "We will build products that feel like Mozilla."

Comments

Why do this in the first place?

[gstoddart]

So why is Mozilla trying to enter into the cheap handset market? This isn't their core competencies.

It just seems like they're flailing about trying to define the next big thing. And, really, that seems to be a waste of resources.

This just feels like Mozilla has kind of lost the plot.

Re:Why do this in the first place?

[Lunix Nutcase]

The problem is that they are essentially rudderless without Google's yearly handouts. If Mozilla had diversified their revenue long ago they wouldn't be in this situation of throwing tons of shit at the wall to see what sticks.

Re:Why do this in the first place?

[rudy_wayne]

Because it will collapse otherwise because it no longer can suck on Google's teet.

But now, they've got Bing's teat to suck on.

I imagine that eventually people will stop giving Mozilla boatloads of free money and Mozilla will have to figure out a way to function like a real business. However, this isn't it:

"they've hinted at plans to start supporting Android apps"

That will kill Firefox OS faster than anything. If Firefox OS runs Android apps then there's no reason for write any Firefox OS apps. There already are a gazillion Android apps out there. And if you think of something new, and you're already experienced at writing for Android, there's no need to learn how to write for Firefox OS, just keep making Android apps. And if there are no Firefox OS-specific apps then there's no reason to use Firefox OS.

Google The Failure of OS/2

Re:Why do this in the first place?

[Kjella]

Why do this in the first place?

Unlike the desktop, most people use the browser supplied with their smartphone/tablet. Apple doesn't allow any application competing with their own as far as I know and on Android Chrome is a central part of Google's all-or-nothing package of apps and services. Maybe they think that for once they'll be the default browser on something. Then again, they're not a first party browser on the desktop either so why they need to have delusions of grandeur I don't know. What I do know is that they have zero chance of pulling off a whole mobile ecosystem with apps and everything. Even Microsoft struggle like hell and they have poured billions into Windows Phone, the Nokia buyout and whatnot.

get the phone apps syncing with desktop Firefox

[spage]

Much of the value of Google's contacts, calendar, music player, etc. on Android is I can access the data from any browser. It's so useful I grit my teeth and share my personal info with evil Google. Firefox OS has its own HTML5 versions of those apps running locally, yet they don't run in desktop or Android Firefox. If the apps did run in every Firefox (and eventually any standards-compliant browser) and Firefox Sync securely kept the apps' data in sync (FF Sync is encrypted, so no one can spy on my personal data) then i would find it pretty compelling.

That's my 2 cents, it merely takes $20M to implement. I like Firefox, and I enjoy the sync. Having open productivity apps running in a browser fits with Mozilla's mission. I want more stuff running in a browser without spying, because it levels the playing field for Linux and could lead to a lightweight boot-to-browser environment for my phone, laptop, desktop, and tablet. Part of Google has that vision with ChromeOS, but they can't let go of the lock-in and dominance Android gave them. It's depressing seeing everyone piss all over Mozilla instead of supporting an alternative to picking a closed proprietary environment provided by a spying corporation.