Mozilla To Release Two “Developer Preview” Phones Running Firefox OS

In collaboration with Geeksphone and Spanish carrier Telefonica, Mozilla has announced that it will release two “developer preview” smartphones running its Firefox OS, reports AllThingsD. Mozilla’s Firefox OS is a web-based platform where all the features and apps are created using the HTML5 web standard. The company has already previewed some ZTE devices running Firefox OS and is hoping to offer mid-level smartphones at feature phone prices.

Since Firefox OS is basically a mobile browser, apps that run within it are not tied to a particular operating system, like iOS, Android or Windows Phone. One advantage for buyers may be more flexibility about switching to a new phone because their apps and content won’t be locked onto any proprietary platform. According to Mozilla’s blog post, “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”, says Mozilla.

The preview devices are unlocked. The low-end model, dubbed Keon, features a Qualcomm S1 processor and 3.5-inch touchscreen, among other features. A higher-end model, Peak, features a dual-core Qualcomm chip and a 4.3-inch screen.

Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs will talk more about the Firefox OS project at “D: Dive Into Mobile” conference in April.