Mozilla announces an end to Firefox OS smartphone development
At a developer-centered event held earlier in Orlando, Mozilla announced the formal end to its dedicated Firefox OS smartphone platform, stating that it will “stop offering Firefox OS smartphones through carrier channels” according to Ari Jaaksi, SVP of Connected Devices. The reason for the nixing of Firefox OS is, in Mozilla’s own words, the sub-par user experience that the platform offered to the end user.
Formerly known as “Boot to Gecko” or “B2G”, Firefox OS was officially announced in 2012 as an open-source alternative to Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. Firefox OS made its way to a flurry of devices, the vast majority of which are sold mainly in developing countries and were priced quite aggressively.
Firefox OS never actually stood a chance against iOS and Android, but its untimely demise clearly shows that the existing duopoly is a tough nut to crack. In theory, current Firefox OS platform users who will seek to change phones in the future may ultimately wind up purchasing an Android phone, however they may also be swayed by Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform given Redmond’s recent decisions to focus on the lower-end market. Well, Microsoft Lumia 550 has gone on sale and you might want to have a look at specs on the next page.
