Preorders start for the Firefox OS Phone

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in mobile on (#3N0)
story imageThe 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
Reply 8 comments

GSM = Useless in Most of the US (Score: 1, Informative)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-05-28 10:51 (#1XQ)

It's hard enough getting a decent CDMA data signal in most places (Sprint sucks balls), but deploying a flagship GSM-only phone for the US market is ridiculous.

Also, who the hell is this "T2Mobile" they plug throughout the release?

Re: GSM = Useless in Most of the US (Score: 2, Informative)

by alioth@pipedot.org on 2014-05-28 11:03 (#1XR)

Apple did that (deploy a GSM-only phone in the US - the first iPhone was GSM only) and was a wild success.

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.

Re: GSM = Useless in Most of the US (Score: 1)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-05-28 11:22 (#1XT)

Excellent counterpoints. :)

In reality, rather than following MS and Canonical down this rathole, I wish they'd fix their browser and stop pooping on Thunderbird, but as usual MoFo is just chasing money.

Re: GSM = Useless in Most of the US (Score: 1)

by billshooterofbul@pipedot.org on 2014-05-28 18:32 (#1Y7)

I don't know how you came to the conclusion that GSM is useless in most of the US. I've mostly lived in the south east and midwest of the country. GSM seemed to be in the majoriy every where I went. at&t is a pretty big carrier, and tmobile seems to be growing fast, due to cut rate prices. Maybe you have different experiences in different places.

In any case, this sounds like a developer phone, rather than a mass market phone to be sold in the retail stores. If you're a developer interested in firefox os, then this is the phone for you. You'll have to us GSM as its the platform used by most of the world that mozilla is targeting with firefox os.

Re: GSM = Useless in Most of the US (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-05-28 20:48 (#1YB)

In the Northeast GSM is pretty bad and I understand it's not much better in parts of CA.

I wish it weren't so, but Verizon really did build out the best network on this continent. CDMA rightly belongs on history's dustheap, but that's not gonna happen for a while yet.

Re: GSM = Useless in Most of the US (Score: 2, Funny)

by billshooterofbul@pipedot.org on 2014-05-28 21:46 (#1YC)

Conversations often go like this:

Person A: I need a new phone, thinking of a iphone 5s.
Person B: Why not give the nexus 5 a try?
Person A: Well, I have Verizon....
Everyone else in earshot: Oohh... Sorry about that. {Everyone akwardly looks around to avoid eye contact with the unfortunate soul, as Person A despretly seeks eye contact from someone to let him know that everything will be ok.}

Methinks (Score: 2, Insightful)

by spacebar@pipedot.org on 2014-05-28 20:06 (#1YA)

that in the world of patent wars, they're going to be sued for that design very, very quickly.