Firefox for Mobile (Fennec) escapes in a rough Android port

It's slow, jerky, and may not even work on your Android device after installing the 41MB package. But it's FireFox for Mobile (aka, Fennec) on Android, brother, and isn't that worth the hassle? Based on our experience with it on the N900, the only gold platform at the moment, it most definitely is. MartinSchirr of Android Forums is credited with the port and it's your best option until the cats at Mozilla issues a formal Android release (currently in Pre-Alpha) later this year as expected. Check the video after the break if you want to experience it right now, mess free.

[Thanks, Will]

[MSM Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:08AM]

nice, hope to see this on iPhone

[Evodadi Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:14AM]

@MSM

Most definitely

[lolcopter Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:21AM]

@MSM we'll see how this plays out...

...

http://my.opera.com/community/countup/

[NextGen Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:25AM]

@MSM Yeah first thing I ll do is installing ad block plus addon and bye mobile safari.

[TheGM Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:06AM]

@MSM
and I hope to someday surpass Bill Gates in net worth.

[McPOW Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:30AM]

@MSM LOL

[Aguilera Posted Mar 31st 2010 4:31AM]

@MSM Good luck waiting for it...

[jennagyon Posted Mar 31st 2010 4:59AM]

@lolcopter I am using Opera on my desktop now for 2 years and its really blazing fast, Although I haven't tested it on my mobile phone. I am thinking if I should shift to fennec when the official version has finally been unveiled. Reactions: http://bit.ly/fennec-android-firefox-mobile

[vlad786 Posted Mar 31st 2010 10:22AM]

@Evodadi
if it supports flash, its worth the hassle!!

[Evan Posted Mar 31st 2010 12:38PM]

@MSM

This was made using the NDK, not programmed with the SDK in java. I doubt it could be made in cocoa.

[weedalin Posted Apr 1st 2010 12:34AM]

@MSM
Unfortunately . . .
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/technology/2009/11/09/mozilla-rules-out-firefox-for-iphone-and-blackberry-115875-21809563/

[Teslanaut Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:12AM]

What about Chrome for Android?

[Seryous Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:05AM]

@Teslanaut what do you think the main browser for android is? its a chrome port.

[TareG Posted Mar 31st 2010 10:26AM]

@Seryous
No, it's not a Chrome port.... AT ALL. Android's browser is as related to Chrome as it is to Safari iPhone.... ust Webkit cousins.

Still waiting for Chrome on Android.

[go4desperado Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:18AM]

jus wondering wat else Fennec added that made its size 42 MB, its jus around 10-12mb for Desktop version..
So much for mobile version :/

[Bratyr Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:23AM]

@go4desperado
FFS, it's in PRE-ALPHA. That means they're not even ready for people within the project to start testing it yet!

This is why I hate it when something like this leaks - idiots like you see a product which has months of work left before they'll be ready to release it and you decide it'll be useless when it comes out.

[Lando Calrissian Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:20AM]

I tried running Fennec on my Touch Pro2. I am still in disbelief as to how Mozilla made something so slow and just terrible. I'll stick to Opera 10/Skyfire for WinMo. That shit is GOOD.

[drumwiz86 Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:23AM]

@Lando Calrissian

do you understand the developmental stages?

Fennec in its existences today is still alpha. slowness, freezing, errors, missing features are all typical of the alpha stage. At least let it get to beta before passing judgment

[Lando Calrissian Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:26AM]

@drumwiz86

I understand that it was an alpha, but it was disappointing that Fennec got a beta and essentially sat there forever. It never really made progress on WinMo. Tis a shame. Mozilla could've had a promising browser. The features that it had were really really good, it just never really came out.

[Aedan762 Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:44AM]

@Lando Calrissian

This isn't even Alpha yet... this is pretty much pre-alpha. Give it a chance, I mean, FF is a champ (even with Chrome out there)... so I'd really like to see how this progresses.

[B3astofthe3ast Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:21AM]

good thing I have Apps2SD, I have a nice 1 gig partition that this so sourly needs. And I thought Google Earth was big...

[drumwiz86 Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:24AM]

@B3astofthe3ast
Even with A2SD it still needs 33MB of your internal memory.

[B3astofthe3ast Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:35AM]

@drumwiz86 Which I have plenty of thanks to Apps2SD

[bustafone Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:22AM]

Do not touch this!
Tried it on my N1, first it took forever to install and then wouldn't even launch. My phone has been acting funny since then.

[jpxdude Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:23AM]

Doesn't work on the HTC Desire :(

[Supply8 Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:24AM]

N900 FTW!

[Mr w00t Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:45AM]

@Supply8 N900 FTW!!!

[Broderbund Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:47AM]

@Supply8 I wish people would design software we actually need, the stock n900 browser is already amazing! Why not a better music player, or email client?

[Supply8 Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:52AM]

@Broderbund

There are about eight major players in the mobility OS market. Hence it is inevitable that each do certain tasks better. Hopefully, they may do those specialities so well, other OS learn something from each other.
Ultimately we as the consumers would benefit, while the developers could utilise their expertise more efficiently too.

[MegaJapan Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:56AM]

@Supply8
Yes, N900 ftw.
Makes me wonder where is him at the moment...

[skyblaze Posted Mar 31st 2010 8:30AM]

@Supply8

im just keeping the chain going... N900 FTW!

[PotatoBaron Posted Mar 31st 2010 10:50AM]

@Supply8

I actually uninstalled Firefox from my N900 because it wasn't performing nearly as well as the native browser.

[drumwiz86 Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:26AM]

Also just more information, for anyone looking to make snap judgements:

1. This is user-compiled from source available here: http://hg.mozilla.org/mobile-browser/

2. It was compiled specifically for the Droid.

[Tes Posted Mar 31st 2010 6:53AM]

@drumwiz86

Thank you. The lack of knowledge here in these comments doesn't bode well for the relative intelligence level of Engadget readers.

[allnighter Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:33AM]

Tried this on Droid. It works and that's about it.
Has a very neat interface, and it got me all giddy when I got to Add-on page, although there are very few available (9, 10 or so), which given the stage it's in, it's understandable.
It is slow and buggy, which is to be expected, but it looks quite promising.
Uninstalled it, and am looking forward to test a new, better version down the road.

[Slick Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:43AM]

Rough as hell.


But I'm still smiling

[n8equalsd Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:45AM]

@WP7S
I suggest you actually use both browsers before passing judgement.

[Legion Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:47AM]

The actual firefox has been ported as well!
http://www.schirrmacher.eu/fennec/downloads/03_25_firefoxD.apk

Same guy, "works" and everything, meaning you can load a webpage. It probably wont work for anything but the Droid and it crashes half the time, but dangit its the REAL firefox!

[Legion Posted Mar 31st 2010 2:49AM]

@Myself

Almost forgot, the username is fennec and the password is android.

[drumwiz86 Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:05AM]

@Legion

Damn...this is the real story if you ask me.

[robertxkills Posted Apr 1st 2010 1:39AM]

@Legion i'm too scared to try this, does it really work? the apk file you sourced is 13.9 mb but in the comments on the website people are talking about 41 and 50mb sizes.

[bbzGhost Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:02AM]

I look at what Opera can do with a mere 1.5MB installer file for its WM version of Opera mini, and how feature laden that browser is, and how fast it is, and then I see things like Fennec that are bloated and insanely slow and buggy as hell and wonder, "Why are you people even bothering anymore?"

Seriously, even Opera mini for Android blows this thing clear out of the water. They're so far behind on mobile Firefox development they shouldn't even waste time with it anymore.

Give Opera mini for Android a shot, I can practically guarantee it'll become your browser of choice. Apple will most likely never approve it for the iPhone, so expect it to appear on Cydia the very next day...

[mrqs Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:09AM]

@bbzGhost

i second this - opera mini 5 beta for android is awesome; head and shoulders above the stock browser and imo much better than the bloated dolphin

mozilla should stick with the desktop, where they can actually compete with opera and others

[drumwiz86 Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:27AM]

@bbzGhost

wow...this isn't going to end is it?

Does the phrase "user-compiled, device-specific, pre-alpha" mean anything to you?

[sfox8 Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:29AM]

@bbzGhost
I agree. The Opera mini 5 beta on Android is amazing. It's so quick and smooth and the interface is pure bliss. I just wish they had included pinch-to-zoom in the beta. I wouldn't even need them to come out with a final release then.
I'm sure Fennec will grow to be awesome as well but Mozilla's been lagging behind with Fennec for a bit now. Kick it into high gear guys!

[mrqs Posted Mar 31st 2010 4:12AM]

@drumwiz86

the point is, mozilla has been at it for bloody ages and haven't got as far as alpha - at this pace, they'll never catch up to anyone

[bbzGhost Posted Mar 31st 2010 4:18AM]

@drumwiz86

Does the phrase: "They've been working on Fennec on multiple platforms for YEARS NOW and it still sucks, totally and completely..." mean anything to you?

I've used Fennec on Windows Mobile, on Maemo (N770, N800, N810, etc), and now they're trying again with Android and it still sucks, totally and completely.

There is a point of diminishing returns, and Fennec has never returned anything but opinions from users like myself that it sucks, totally and completely. They need to just give it a rest and let it die, totally and completely.

[blazinsmokey Posted Mar 31st 2010 5:07AM]

@bbzGhost

So your saying everyone use Opera, end of story. No need for competition.

I would love it if everyone had a iPod and Zune didn't exist....(sarcasm!)

[mrqs Posted Mar 31st 2010 5:38AM]

@blazinsmokey

the stock android browser, dolphin and xscope (there are probably others i don't know about) are plenty of competition for opera mini (tho' imo mini is the best of the lot)

[TheGM Posted Mar 31st 2010 3:09AM]

@WP7S He's just joking...Ihope.