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How KaiOS claimed the third-place mobile crown
In December 2015, Mozilla announced it would be abandoning Firefox OS as a smartphone platform. Many assumed the company's withdrawal would kill any hope of a mobile operating system built around the open web, rather than a combination of native apps and tightly-controlled storefronts. In the last few years, plenty of "alternative" smartphone platforms, including Ubuntu Touch and Windows 10 Mobile, have faded into obscurity, too. Jolla has struggled on with Sailfish OS, but it's never felt like a true challenger to the Android and iOS duopoly. Three years later, a surprising competitor has emerged: KaiOS. The relative newcomer, which makes feature phones smarter, is already running on more than 80 million devices worldwide. How did it grow so big, so quickly? With a little help from Firefox OS.
Google is making the Assistant smarter on feature phones
Google is doubling down on KaiOS, the "light" operating system that makes low-cost feature phones feel a little smarter. Today, the company announced that the Google Assistant will be upgraded with Voice Typing "over the coming months," allowing KaiOS users to dictate text messages, web searches and basically anything else that uses a text box. KaiOS and the Assistant can also be set to different languages, according to Google. That means you could read the phone's menus, icons and settings in English and then talk, text and search through the Assistant in Spanish.
Mozilla will stop supporting Firefox OS for smartphones in May
Mozilla's Firefox OS isn't strictly speaking dead, but it may as well be as far as smartphones are concerned. The company announced via email that it would stop supporting the mobile OS after releasing Firefox OS 2.6 (currently slated for the end of May), a move that'll free up staff that will try to figure out how exactly Firefox OS fits into the growing internet-of-things scene.
Firefox OS may live on in a TV stick and Pi-powered keyboard
Shortly after Mozilla said that it was done with Firefox OS smartphones, it confirmed that the OS would live on in connected devices. We might now have a better idea of what that means, thanks to a leak from Hipertextual. The Spanish site unearthed several internal Mozilla documents showing a Firefox keyboard, stick, hub and, most unusually, a Raspberry Pi powered keyboard. When queried by Venture Beat, Mozilla confirmed that the devices were "early product concept work by one of our developers," but wouldn't say if they were still under development.
Mozilla stops working on Firefox OS smartphones
Mozilla originally launched Firefox OS with dreams of democratizing the smartphone: instead of closed platforms and apps, you'd have an open, web-based framework that anyone could work with. Alas, however, that vision wasn't meant to be. The organization has announced that it will "stop offering" Firefox OS phones through carriers, effectively putting an end to those phones as a whole. It's still willing to "experiment" with the software on smart devices -- they just won't be the kind of devices that make phone calls. The team just couldn't deliver the "best user experience possible" on a handset, Mozilla says.
You can now try Firefox OS on your Android phone
Mozilla has dropped the latest version of Firefox OS into everybody's lap, and there's a special treat tucked inside for brave Android users. A new developer preview of the software can be downloaded and tried as an alternative home screen on your phone that, thankfully, doesn't require you to wipe your device beforehand. Just install the APK and it'll appear as an app that, with a single press of your device, will transform the handset into a Firefox OS phone. Naturally, in order to play nice with Android, there's a few futzes and workarounds tucked inside, but it's hoped that the move will enable more people -- and developers -- to engage with the burgeoning operating system.
Matchstick's Firefox OS-based TV dongle is dead
Bad news if you backed Matchstick's crowdfunded, Firefox OS-powered TV adapter: it's not going to happen. The team has cancelled its would-be Chromecast rival after realizing that implementing copyright protection will require "significantly more" work than expected. It wouldn't be fair to leave people hanging when there's no way to "reliably predict" when you could play Netflix or other locked-down content, the company says. If you plunked money down, you should be getting a full refund within the next 60 days.
Spain's first smartphone maker calls it quits
Geeksphone, the world's first Spanish smartphone maker, has decided to leave the phone business after nearly six years. The company has decided that, after developing six devices, that it has come to the "end of a cycle" and will stop making hardware. Instead, it'll open-source everything that it's able to for the benefit of the community and remain a viable concern to keep the lights on in its technical support division.
The next Firefox OS devices will focus on quality, not cost
Outside of one or two exceptions, most Firefox OS devices have been aimed squarely at the budget crowd -- at folks who would otherwise have to entirely forego smartphoness or tablets. However, Mozilla is ready to switch things up. The organization has unveiled a new strategy, Ignite, that should lead to Firefox OS gadgets you want to buy "because of the experience" rather than the price tag, according to CEO Chris Beard. Just what that entails isn't clear, but there's little doubt that this means a shift toward higher-end (though not necessarily flagship-class) hardware.
Panasonic debuts first Firefox-powered Smart TVs in Europe
Panasonic lost some mystique when it stopped making those amazing plasma sets, but its new Firefox OS-powered 4K Smart TVs are showing a return to form. First revealed at CES this year, those sets are now available in Europe and will be rolling out to the US and elsewhere in the coming months. The Smart TV space has become crowded with players including Google's Android TV platform, Samsung's Tizen and Roku, to name just a few. However, Mozilla touts several unique advantages to its own platform, like plenty of HTML5 web apps including Netflix and Hulu, along with the ability to share content from any device with a Firefox browser.
Mozilla launches Firefox OS phones in Morocco and Senegal
Firefox OS might be in a distant fourth place (or further?) here domestically, but Mozilla sees plenty of value for it in emerging countries. Specifically? Senegal and Madagascar in Africa, where it recently partnered with French telecom Orange to launch the KLIF. And no, you aren't wrong, it's neither a flip-phone or a slider. Nor is it transparent. A Mozilla blog post says that the main idea with this 3G smartphone is to get more people online in places where they previously couldn't. It's the web outfit following through on a promise it made back at Mobile World Congress in Spain, and the Middle East is where we'll see the initiative pop up next.
Mozilla is bringing Firefox OS to flip-phones and sliders
Mozilla has always positioned Firefox OS as an alternative platform for entry-level smartphones, but now it's targeting the feature phone market too. At Mobile World Congress, the company announced a new partnership with LG and carriers Verizon, Telefónica, KDDI and U+ to create a fresh range of flip-phones, sliders and touchscreen "slate" handsets. Firefox OS will look a little different on these devices -- Mozilla says the group is developing a "more intuitive and easy-to-use" software experience for their planned launch in 2016. It promises to balance the simplicity of feature phones with basic smartphone functionality, such as email, web browsing and music playback.
Matchstick delays its Firefox OS media stick to offer Netflix streaming
I hope you weren't in too much of a hurry to snag Matchstick's Firefox OS-based streaming media dongle. The fledgling company has delayed its namesake device to August in order to not only upgrade the hardware (to a quad-core processor and better WiFi), but to add support for anti-piracy protection. As the team explains, Netflix and other "premium" services won't work unless you have some kind of digital rights management (DRM) -- it's hard to sell a media stick that can't deliver the most popular content. The setback won't please you if you're an early backer (or see DRM as a blight on open standards), but it will make Matchstick's $25 device more useful to viewers who'd otherwise pick up a Chromecast to get their online video fix.
Panasonic's new 4K TVs will run Firefox OS under the hood
Panasonic's promises of Firefox OS-based TVs in 2014 didn't amount to much, but the company is back with much more concrete plans for Mozilla's web-based platform. The electronics giant has revealed that all of its 2015 Life+Screen 4K TVs (the CX600, CX650, CX800 and CX850) launching this spring will run Firefox OS. You can not only run web apps, but also send content to your TV from any device with a Firefox browser or a compatible app. You'll even get notifications from smart appliances connected to your home network, Panasonic says. It's hard to know if the new software will help Panasonic compete with the likes of LG's webOS sets or Samsung's Tizen models, but it's clear that simply making a smart TV isn't enough in the tech world these days -- you need to have a full-fledged software ecosystem to back it up.
Japan's first Firefox OS phone is transparent
Transparency has always been one of Mozilla's big selling points with Firefox OS, but a new smartphone from KDDI in Japan is taking that idea to its literal extreme. KDDI's Fx0 is the first Firefox OS phone to hit Japan, and as you can see, its clear case (crafted by designer Yoshioka Tokujin) doesn't leave much to the imagination. It's also the first device running Mozilla's mobile platform to include LTE and NFC. And unlike most Firefox OS phones, it packs in some decent hardware, including a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 1.5GB of RAM, and a 4.7-inch IPS display. Up until now, Firefox OS been targeted at low-end devices for emerging markets like Brazil. But the Fx0 shows that Mozilla wants to take on developed markets, rather than just compete for scraps.
IRL: Giving Firefox OS a second chance
When I reviewed the original ZTE Open last year, the Firefox OS experience was -- to put it modestly -- rough around the edges. The device was stripped down even by the standards of low-end phones, while the software was missing features other platforms have had for years. You didn't even get new email notifications, for crying out loud. Jump ahead a year and it's another story. The Open C is a much more powerful device, and Firefox OS has received a few vital upgrades. But does that mean Mozilla's web-based mobile software is finally ready for prime time? I spent two weeks with the Open C to find out if it can hold its own against budget rivals -- and to see if I'd be comfortable using it as my only phone.
This Firefox OS media stick sends video to your TV, much like Chromecast
If you like the idea of streaming media to your TV with a Chromecast but aren't terribly fond of Google's content or platform restrictions, you'll soon have an open alternative. GigaOM has managed to get hands-on time with an unannounced Firefox OS-based media stick that lets you "fling" any content to your TV using any software. It has a hack-friendly open bootloader, and it'll even mimic a Chromecast in a pinch; while support is inconsistent right now, the adapter can already handle video requests from the YouTube app. Mozilla isn't naming the manufacturer or commenting on its involvement in the project, but hopefully the gadget ships sooner than later. It may be the key to simple casting from Firefox OS, Windows Phone and other platforms that don't have many (if any) TV sharing options.
Firefox OS' new interface looks both very modern and very familiar
Mozilla promised that Firefox OS was getting a gigantic interface redesign later this year, and it's now clear just how ambitious that remake will be. Ahmed Nefzaoui and Soren Hentzchel have provided a detailed look at Firefox OS 2.0 that shows off its thoroughly modern style. There are flat surfaces everywhere, and even more transparency than in current versions; both the lock screen notifications and task switcher have taken on a decidedly iOS 7-like (not to mention more useful) layout. The preview also gives a better glimpse at EverythingMe's contextual search, which produces both app and web results. You'll still have to wait a few months to see 2.0 reach shipping hardware, but this close-up suggests that your patience will pay off.
Mozilla puts mobile first with new CEO
Nearly a year after Gary Kovacs announced he's stepping down as Mozilla's CEO, and the company's board of directors has finally appointed a new leader: former CTO Brendan Eich. Eich has been involved with Firefox from the very beginning, having invented JavaScript back in 1995 when he was an early developer for Netscape Navigator. As Mozilla's new CEO, Eich's not only responsible for Firefox as a web browser, but also as a mobile operating system. To that end, Eich has brought on Li Gong, who's been instrumental in building up Firefox OS, as Mozilla's new COO. Indeed, in an interview with CNET, Eich has said that Firefox OS is his highest priority. His goal right now is to get Firefox-powered handsets in as many hands as possible, especially the $25 ones. Eich certainly has his work cut out for him however, as the company isn't even ready to sell its handsets in the US just yet.
Firefox OS getting interface revamp, lots of spit and polish
Firefox OS is still very young and about to endure something of a growth spurt. In the coming months Mozilla's fledgling mobile platform will see a pretty dramatic reinvention of its UI. A core piece of that reinvention is EverythingMe, a contextual search interface that delivers results from the phone and the web simultaneously. Pulling down slightly from the title/address bar will open the search dialog that doubles as an application launcher. That new launcher will provide an entirely new way to interact with the phone, while bringing a welcome level of polish and modernity to the OS. The company also aims to banish the app store model and the ubiquitous install button. Instead searching for an app will offer you a direct link to launch it (which is made possible by Firefox OS' heavy reliance on the web). Additionally, a number of UI elements will be shifted around. Now, instead of opening the notification drawer, pulling down all the way from the top of the screen will initiate a task switcher. For quick and fluid app switching, simply swiping left or right from the edge of the screen will toggle between open applications, just as it does on Windows 8. The notification drawer will find a new home at the bottom of the interface, and opens with an upward swipe. Subtler changes are also being made under the hood that will make Firefox OS faster and more responsive. Especially when scrolling and panning. The on-screen keyboard will also use predictive algorithms to guess what letter a user will enter next and will invisibly enlarge the touch target. There wont actually be any visible cues for the person typing, but it should lead to less mashing of backspace.
