 Mozilla's
Firefox Mobile
will hit smartphones like Windows Mobile and Linux devices later this year
and as
Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla Vide President Engineering, unveiled this week,
beside users also mobile carriers and operators are interested to learn more
about Mozilla's latest mobile device project. Schroepfer is quoted, that
Mozilla's mission is to break open a closed market but he knows that it won't
happen overnight.
And while Windows Mobile devices includes a web browser already, namely Internet
Explorer Mobile, it looks like operators and ODMs aren't satisfied with Internet
Explorer anymore which must be the reason for adding Opera Mobile on their
smartphones in addition.
Since Opera Mobile isn't available for free, unlike the desktop version,
operators and carriers "want to know how much it will cost," Schroepfer said
and added "That's an easy answer: mobile Firefox will be free".
According to Christian Sejersen, who leads Mozilla's mobile engineering group
in Copenhagen, Mozilla has been criticized for getting a late start in the
mobile browser field but the interest in Firefox Mobile seems to exist anyway.
For instance has Samsung submitted suggestions
for the user interface and furthermore, Mozilla is working with chip
designers ARM and Intel to make mobile Firefox run well on their chips,
Schroepfer said.
"Somebody needs to come in from the side and give everybody a kick," Sejersen
said. "I think the iPhone has done it ... but I still think there's more than
can be done to make [browsing] easier."
While still no release date was given, users can be confident know that
Mozilla takes the development serious and, as expected, Firefox Mobile will be
available free of charge. Looks like it's time for Opera Software to release
Opera Mobile 9.5, otherwise the windows of opportunity might closes faster than
expected.
Cheers ~ Arne
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