CEO says focus on budget handsets, HTML5 ecosystem will help Firefox OS.
Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs defended his decision to launch Firefox OS in a market that already has established names like iOS and Android by stating that budget users would warm to the idea of having a phone with a connected OS. While speaking at the Dive Into Mobile conference in New York, Kovacs said that the popularity of existing mobile operating systems was mainly because of high-end devices and that Firefox OS phones would be first launched in countries where people preferred lower priced devices and also where Firefox had brand recognition. Kovacs then talked about the launch schedule for Firefox OS handsets with Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela being the first countries where it will be launched. However, Mozilla was unable to reveal the exact launch dates for the handsets.
Kovacs also reiterated the advantage held by Firefox OS because of its reliance on the open HTML5 standard. Kovacs said that improvements in HTML5 meant that developers could work with better graphics hardware, better javascript performance and better APIs. Kovacs also said that he was optimistic of a respectable user base forming for Firefox OS as he didn’t think only two ecosystems would be sufficient as more and more people decided to go online with their phones.
India is still unlikely to get a device running Firefox OS anytime soon although companies like Sony and LG, that are already selling phones in India, have shown interest in the new OS. The first set of Firefox OS handsets that will be launched abroad includes the Alcatel One Touch Fire and the ZTE Open.
Sources: Giga Om, Engadget
Image Source: Techno Buffalo