Keon and Peak: Two Firefox OS smartphones tested
Foxy Phones
© Lead Image © pictureguy66, 123RF.com
JavaScript, HTML5, and a liberal helping of Linux and Android inheritances: This is Firefox OS, the smartphone operating system Mozilla created to push into the low-end smartphone market. We tested the Keon and Peak models by Geeksphone.
Mozilla Firefox OS wants to be open, free, and modern. Also known as "Boot to Gecko" or B2G for short [1], this open source alternative to major smartphone operating systems uses known technologies to enable fast and easy distribution. At the same time, it aims to keep resource consumption low to help manufacturers equip their devices with cheaper hardware.
Emerging Markets
Mozilla is clearly aiming in the direction of the emerging markets – that is, threshold countries where smartphones are still rare and low prices offer a big advantage in the marketplace. Mozilla is not interested in offering an app store or payment services itself but points to the fact that mobile network operators or other stakeholders can build these services themselves.
The Mozilla Foundation sees itself as a developer and supplier of software, not a service provider. This opportunity for more control over the services that are provided with the phone creates a revenue model for the phone vendor that isn't available through Android or iOS.
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