Telefonica launches First Ever Firefox OS-based Phone in Spain

Telefonica is going to launch the very first Firefox OS-based phone in its own local market i.e. Spain on this Tuesday. The phone is already labeled as ZTE Open, and many prime Medias and market analysts are looking forward to this mega launch. Eventually Mozilla has developed its own mobile operating system to take on current front runners of this base Apple and Google.

As I mentioned that ZTE Open is coming up with Mozilla’s Firefox OS, and several things are very much dependent on this launch for sure. One thing is certain that Mozilla is trying to set up a significant milestone for its own OS, and this launch might just boost it up a lot.

Currently Apple and Google are ruling the worldwide mobile market via their iOS and Android OS respectively. Several mobile handset making companies and network suppliers are trying to get used to with the Mozilla’s browser based, open-source operating system in order to regain the almighty power of the mobile base once again. This simply means that the launch is going to be one of the most crucial moves of a new commercial beginning for sure.

The mobile phone costs 69 Euros ($90), which includes pay-as-you-go credit plan of 30 Euros ($39). It also has a special advantage to them who would like to sign up for a contract of two years. The interested buyers will be able to sign up for 2.38 Euros ($3.10) per month to own the phone. Incidentally these prices are a lot cheaper than many of the newly launched smartphones that are currently running on iOS or Android in the market. Firefox OS mainly competes against these two operating systems to establish its own market.

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The ZTE Open has a 3.5-inch long touchscreen which provides a screen resolution of 480*320 pixels. It offers a 3.2 megapixel rear camera, 512MB flash memory, and 256MB RAM. The memory will further be boosted with a pre-included 4GB microSD card. The phone and the OS are mainly designed to target those consumers who are cost-conscious or looking to own something new in their pockets.

Mr. Yotam Benami, who is the Digital Director of open Web devices at Telefonica, gave an interview to explain the move and some of the important things about the phone. He said that the company is quite excited about the dynamic app search feature, which will help an user to find several apps and pages directly on the web itself rather than on the dedicated app stores. "It's a very personalized experience. You can interact with Web apps in the cloud." He said.

According to him the new phone will provide a simplified user experience. "The entire user experience is more simple and streamlined. Many users are frustrated with the complexities of Android," he added. The long battery validity and low cost are contributing facilities for sure especially in the emerging markets like Spain.

Mr. Benami added that his company will soon be launching another Firefox OS phone, the Alcatel One Touch Fire, in the countries like in Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia.

It has to be mentioned here that Telefonica is certainly not the only carrier that is endorsing this brand new operating system, as Telenor too will launch its first Firefox OS phones later this year in eastern and central Europe. In fact Deutsche Telekom will also join the list by launching it in Poland. There are a few more carriers like LG and Sony who are interested to promote it in various countries in the days to come for sure. In India the local handset making company Lava will introduce the Firefox OS based smartphones.

Final Words

We think a certain need has been emerged over the years for an alternative to the iOS or Android, and the Firefox OS may fulfill it with the launch in Spain. Telefonica management is very much confident with the success of it, but in order to judge it properly we need to undergo a pre-fixed wait and watch period.

What are your expectations with the new Firefox OS based phones? Do you think an alternative to the iOS or Android is necessary at this time? Feel free to share your view with us. It is a very new topic indeed, and that’s why we would like to hear more from your side.