Firefox OS is a new mobile operating system built entirely using open web standards. In Firefox OS, HTML5 apps can do “phone things” – they can make the phone vibrate, make a phone call or send a text message.
This week we are announcing our new Firefox OS developer preview phones because we believe that developers will help bring the power of the web to mobile. These developer phones are being developed by Geeksphone in partnership with Telefonica. We are looking to make them available in February.
Updated: Added the two phone models and their specifications below.
The Keon model
- CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 1Ghz
- UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA)
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE)
- Screen 3.5″ HVGA Multitouch
- 3 MP Camera
- 4GB ROM, 512 MB RAM
- MicroSD, Wifi N, Light and proximity Sensor, G-Sensor, GPS, MicroUSB
- 1580 mAh battery
- Over the air updates
- Unlocked, add your own SIM card
The Peak model
- CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.2Ghz x2.
- UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA).
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE).
- Screen 4.3″ qHD IPS Multitouch.
- Camera 8 MP (back) + 2 MP (front).
- 4 GB (ROM) and 512 (RAM).
- MicroSD, Wifi N, Light and proximity Sensor, G-Sensor, GPS, MicroUSB, Flash (camera).
- Battery 1800 mAh.
Developer preview phones will help make the mobile web more accessible to more people. Developers are critical to the web and to Mozilla’s mission to make the web accessible to everyone. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide use Firefox to discover, experience and connect to the Web. A web based on open standards and open technologies. We couldn’t have done this without web developers. Now we are working on bringing the power of the web to mobile, through Firefox OS, along with all the power of open standards and an open community, and once again, we’d like to invite web developers to join us.
Firefox OS App Days
We’d also like to invite you to participate in Firefox OS App Days, a worldwide set of 20+ hack days happening this week. At each App Day event, you’ll have the opportunity to learn, hack, share and celebrate Firefox OS, Mozilla’s open source operating system for the mobile web. Technologists and developers from the Mozilla community will present tools and technology built to extend and support the Web platform, including mobile Web APIs to access device hardware features such as the accelerometer.
If you can’t get to an App Day, you can still sign up for Firefox Apps & Hacks, our email newsletter for Firefox OS app developers. We’ll let you know as soon as the phones are available from Geeksphone.
Try out Firefox OS
If you’re a developer interested in web technologies and mobile, now is the time to try out Firefox OS. Come learn how easy it is to create an app based on HTML that has access to all of the APIs on your device. Using the same web technologies you are used to, you can make your app give alerts by vibrating the phone, take a picture with the camera or more. Play with it, experiment, try out your website, create an app.
You can create an app for Firefox OS by making some small changes to your existing website.
You can try out Firefox OS and your app (if you created one) in several different ways:
- Install Marketplace for Android on your Android phone. (Your friends and family can also do this – it’s as easy as installing an app, so they can try out your app too.)
- Use the browser-based Firefox OS Simulator to view and test your mobile app on the desktop.
- Install Firefox OS on your own hardware.
- Purchase a Firefox OS Developer Preview device! Working with Geeksphone and Telefonica we’ve created a Firefox OS Developer Preview phone especially for developers. Be the first to show off Firefox OS and your app! First phones will be available in February.
Why develop an app for Firefox OS?
- Keep the web open. Support the open web and help make sure the power of the web is available to everyone – even on mobile devices.
- Simplicity. Develop on a single technology stack (HTML5/CSS/JavaScript/new WebAPIs) and deliver across the web and devices.
- Freedom. You’re not locked in to a vendor-controlled ecosystem. You can distribute your app through the Firefox Marketplace, your own website, or any other store based on Mozilla’s open app store technology.
If you have any more questions, please read the Firefox OS FAQ.
Join us in bringing the web to mobile!
About Stormy Peters
Stormy Peters is Director of Websites and Developer Engagement at Mozilla. She is passionate about open source software and educates companies and communities on how open source software is changing the software industry. She is a compelling speaker who engages her audiences during and after her presentations and frequently speaks on business aspects of open source software.
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