The Firefox OS reference device,
the Flame is now available for
pre-order for $170.
To standardize the design, development, and testing of Firefox OS, Mozilla has partnered with a company called T2Mobile to manufacture, distribute, and update a Firefox OS reference phone called the Flame. Until now, there has been no "reference device" and the options for getting something through retail were limited.
The Flame will also be a great development and testing environment for third party app developers targeting Firefox OS and HTML5.
Specifications:
- 1.2 Ghz Dual core processor (Qualcomm MSM8210 Snapdragon)
- 1 GB RAM
- 4.5" screen (854i-480)
- 5 MP rear camera, 2 MP front camera
- 8 GB storage, MicroSD slot
- GPS, NFC
- WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, Micro USB
The problem is not whether they are using GSM/UMTS but that they are now against two fully entrenched platforms (iOS and Android) and several minor platforms (Windows Phone, Blackberry etc) and it's going to be difficult to enter with a new smart phone platform against all the entrenched competition. As such because their slice of the pie will never be anything other than tiny, it's probably best to develop the hardware for the most widely used world standard (GSM and its descendents) rather than a minority US-only standard.