Spain's Telefonica carrier will be the first to offer a smartphone running Firefox OS to consumers when it begins selling the ZTE Open on Tuesday, July 2.
Firefox OS is a smartphone operating system built by Mozilla that relies heavily on existing web technologies, such as HTML 5 to deliver apps and functionality to its users. It is described as a browser-based, open source operating system.
The ZTE Open is not a very powerful smartphone - Qualcomm MSM7225A Snapdragon, 1.0GHz Cortex 5 CPU, Adreno 200 GPU, 256MB RAM with 5.3-inch, 320x480 display - but it is not intended to rival smartphones coveted by the spec-anxious users.
Instead the ZTE Open is intended to provide a low-cost proof of concept of Firefox OS. Telefonica will offer the ZTE Open for €69, including €30 of balance for prepaid customers and a 4GB microSD card. For customers on contract, the ZTE Open costs €2.38 per month ex IVA for 24 months.
Telenor will launch their first Firefox OS phones in Central and Eastern Europe this year also, while Mozilla says that Firefox OS devices will launch in more markets later in the year.
"The launch of Firefox OS marks an incredibly exciting time for the Web. Firefox OS powers the first smartphones built entirely on Web technologies and will stimulate an inspiring new wave of innovation for the Web," says Jay Sullivan, Mozilla Chief Operating Officer.
"We are proud to deliver an experience for first time smartphone users that will delight them and really put the power of the Web in people's hands."
The ZTE Open is not a very powerful smartphone - Qualcomm MSM7225A Snapdragon, 1.0GHz Cortex 5 CPU, Adreno 200 GPU, 256MB RAM with 5.3-inch, 320x480 display - but it is not intended to rival smartphones coveted by the spec-anxious users.
Instead the ZTE Open is intended to provide a low-cost proof of concept of Firefox OS. Telefonica will offer the ZTE Open for €69, including €30 of balance for prepaid customers and a 4GB microSD card. For customers on contract, the ZTE Open costs €2.38 per month ex IVA for 24 months.
Telenor will launch their first Firefox OS phones in Central and Eastern Europe this year also, while Mozilla says that Firefox OS devices will launch in more markets later in the year.
"The launch of Firefox OS marks an incredibly exciting time for the Web. Firefox OS powers the first smartphones built entirely on Web technologies and will stimulate an inspiring new wave of innovation for the Web," says Jay Sullivan, Mozilla Chief Operating Officer.
"We are proud to deliver an experience for first time smartphone users that will delight them and really put the power of the Web in people's hands."
