Skip to main content

Mozilla has killed the Firefox phone

Mozilla has killed the Firefox phone

/

Could Firefox OS come back as an Internet of Things platform?

Share this story

Today, Mozilla revealed that it will no longer develop or sell Firefox OS smartphones and devices, ending a two and a half year effort to break into the low-end smartphone world. The news was originally announced at a developer event and Mozilla later confirmed it to TechCrunch.

Mozilla's original goal for Firefox OS was to deliver it to emerging markets at the very low end of the smartphone spectrum. At one point, it even tried to push for a $25 smartphone, but gave up on that earlier this year when it didn't seem feasible. Mozilla's efforts were stymied by Android's rapid growth into the entry-level world, and it never could compete on an app and experience level with Google's platform. The company noted in its statement to TechCrunch that it wasn't able to "offer the best user experience possible" on Firefox smartphones.

But all may not be lost. Ari Jaaksi, senior vice president for connected devices at Mozilla, tweeted today that the company plans to use the technology from Firefox OS in other connected devices, outside of smartphones. The software was also developed to run on TVs, but it's not clear if Mozilla plans to pursue that path still or not.

Firefox OS likely won't be missed in the smartphone world, but we'll shed a tear for the Fx0, which was by far the most compelling device to run the software.