Originally Posted by Win7Mac

Mozilla Corp., developer of the Firefox web browser, said Monday that it has teamed up with Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. (Foxconn), and they will unveil a product running the Firefox operating system (OS) on June 3.
One industry insider said the new Firefox OS product to be unveiled that day is likely to be a tablet.

Source

Originally Posted by reinob

As soon as we have a lynx-phone I will buy it.

When it comes to buying new technology, it pays to be quick - a lesson fans of Mozilla's open-source Firefox OS were taught over the weekend.

The Telegraph reported this week that Chinese manufacturer ZTE sold out the first production run of its highly anticipated Open, one of the first smartphones powered by Firefox OS.

After debuting in eBay stores in both the U.S. and U.K. last Friday, ZTE managed to sell out of the unlocked handsets by Monday, leaving Mozilla fans empty-handed until the manufacturer can restock its virtual shelves.

Featuring a 3.5-inch screen with 1GHz processor, 3.2MP rear camera and 512MB of internal storage, the ZTE Open isn't exactly a smartphone powerhouse - but for only $79.99 (UK£59.99, about AU$88.63), it doesn't have to be.

Orange alert

There's no mistaking the ZTE Open, which features a bright orange back and Firefox OS, a version of Mozilla's open-source web browser reworked into a smartphone operating system.

Launched earlier this summer in Spain, Venezuela and Columbia on the Telefonica network, the ZTE Open marked the first time U.S. and U.K. citizens alike could get their hands on the distinctive handset through retail channels.

The web-based Firefox OS harkens back to the days of Palm's ill-fated webOS, which has ironically also found a home in the open-source community after buyer HP failed to gain any traction in the market against iOS and Android.

However, unlike webOS Firefox OS doesn't require downloading and installing the type of apps made popular by Apple and Google, since the entire platform is essentially a glorified web browser.

LG is indeed working on a number of devices that includes a new tablet, phablet, smart watch and even a Firefox OS device, according to a company official.

Mobile communications head of LG Bulgaria, Dimitar Valev, in an interview with Dnevnik.bg has laid down company's device roadmap for the coming year.

Valev confirmed that the company is working on devices with large displays and next year there will be an even bigger phone than 5.5-inch display seen in the LG Optimus G Pro. This hints that the company may be working on a 6-inch phablet considering that other major handset makers are also launching phablets with the display sizes measuring around that mark. The company might use the just launched quad-HD smartphone display technology which is the world's first quad-HD AH-IPS LCD panel for smartphones.

Further, LG will be refreshing its tablet line-up and an Android tablet is indeed coming by year-end, confirmed the official. Previously, a LG branded tablet was spotted in Bluetooth SIG (special interest group) certification filing. The report claimed that two devices with model number LG-V500 and LG-V507L appeared on the Bluetooth special interest group's website.

Interestingly, Valev also suggested that the company might unveil a smart watch next year, however no details were shared. He noted that the company made a watch mobile phone three years ago, but did not get success because may be the market was not ripe.

LG is also considering working on platforms other than Android, confirmed Valev. He noted that company might work on Windows Phone depending on how Microsoft continues to develop the operating system. He also affirmed that LG will have a Firefox OS device ready for launch in the first quarter of 2014.

Beginning in October, German budget mobile operator Congstar will begin selling the first Firefox OS phone to hit the country.

According to the Deutsche Telekom subsidiary, the "affordable" device — the Alcatel One Touch Fire — represents "a viable alternative for Apple and Android users".



The phone will be available on Congstar's modular tariff system, which can be customized ad nauseum based on customer preference. For instance, 100 minutes of calls and 200MB of data would be roughly €15 per month, while a package with unlimited text messages and 3GB of data would be €36.70 monthly. No rolling contract is necessary, and the plan can also be customised to be used on an ad hoc basis, with a nine eurocent per minute rate for calls.

No pricing information has been announced for the phone, but in Poland, it's priced at about €100 for a prepaid option or the negligible cost of one zloty if customers sign up for a two-year plan.

With a 1Ghz processor, 256MB RAM and only one camera, the Alcatel One Touch Fire is a decidedly entry-level smartphone.

Want to test it?

In Germany, Congstar is promoting the phone by offering would-be testers a chance to use it for two weeks before launch, and then review the Firefox OS device. However, users will have to submit a video detailing why they want to test the phone, and what they expect from the OS, through through Congstar's website.

The Germany launch represents part of a continued push by T-Mobile — Deutsche Teleom's main mobile brand — of the Firefox OS operating system in Europe. In July, the company began offering the same phone and operating system in Poland; and Greece and Hungary are on the way sometime in the autumn, according to a statement from Deutsche Telekom.

The company has been involved in the development of the Linux-based operating system since 2011, and has called it "an important step towards increased competition among ecosystems".

Mozilla is offering a free Firefox OS smartphone to any app developers who have created an HTML5 iOS or Android app, if they port it for Firefox Marketplace.

All developers have to do is show Mozilla their app and if the reviewers are happy with it, they will send out a Geeksphone Keon Firefox OS smartphone.

Geeksphone are a Spanish startup smartphone maker who have built a couple of devices in partnership with Firefox that are only available as developer previews at the moment.

The Firefox OS smartphones - all of which have been budget devices - have proved a huge success since being released a few months back.

Chinese smartphone maker ZTE recently sold a batch of their Firefox OS smartphones, the ZTE Open, through eBay in the UK and US for £59.99. The devices sold out in just one weekend.

At the moment no Firefox OS phones are available in the UK through a network carrier, but the company has said it is currently working on more partnerships, including with higher end manufacturers.

The other smartphone which currently runs on Firefox OS, the Alcatel One Touch Fire, is available in Poland through Deutsche Telekom's T-Mobile brand.

In attempt to bolster the Firefox Marketplace before the initial release of the OS, Mozilla offered phones to developers who were creating apps especially for Firefox OS back in May.

With this move aimed at porters, it looks like Mozilla could be gearing up for an expansion in smartphones which run on the OS.