Mozilla announced on Tuesday that it has teamed up with Spain-based Geeksphone to build and distribute developer preview hardware for its upcoming mobile Firefox OS. One device will be a budget model with the bare essentials for testing apps, while the other boasts some pretty competitive hardware.
Mozilla already offers a few ways to test apps built for its Firefox OS. There's the browser-based Firefox OS simulator and a Firefox Marketplace for Android app, or you can even flash the ROM of a compatible Android device with the latest version of Firefox OS. Apps are built entirely in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, using existing Web standards, so testing via the browser is pretty straightforward. However, Mozilla also offers additional APIs to access smartphone-specific hardware; if your app relies on those APIs, having an actual device for testing is critical.
The budget model is called Keon. With a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor, a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen, and a barebones 3MP rear-facing camera, it's designed as an inexpensive device for "developing software for Firefox OS in a performant environment." The other model is beefier, boasting a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4, a 4.3-inch qHD (960×540) IPS touchscreen, a 2MP front-facing camera, and a LED flash-equipped, 8MP rear-facing camera. Both devices have unlocked HSPA/GSM radios, 802.11n Wi-Fi, GPS, and MicroSD slots for storage.
Pricing and availability do not appear to be set at this time, though Mozilla is promising that the Keon will start shipping in February. (We did not get a response to our request for information from Geeksphone prior to publication.) Full specs for both devices are below:
Keon
- CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 1Ghz
- UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA)
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE)
- Screen: 3.5" HVGA Multitouch
- Camera: 3MP
- 4GB (ROM) and 512 (RAM)
- MicroSD, Wi-Fi N, Light & Prox. Sensor, G-Sensor, GPS, MicroUSB
- Battery 1580mAh
Peak
- CPU Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.2Ghz x2
- UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA)
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE)
- Screen: 4.3" qHD IPS Multitouch
- Camera: 8 MP (back) + 2 MP (front)
- 4GB (ROM) and 512 (RAM)
- MicroSD, Wi-Fi N, Light & Prox. Sensor, G-Sensor, GPS, MicroUSB, Flash (camera)
- Battery 1800mAh
