RSSMozilla Plans Mobile Version of Firefox
By Ed Oswald | Published October 10, 2007, 1:35 PM
After successfully changing the game in desktop web browsing, Mozilla now has its sights set on the mobile market with a version of Firefox to appear for mobile phones as early as 2008.
Mozilla is taking mobile browsing seriously, and has already hired at least two high profile mobile developers for the project. Former Openwave browser chief Christian Sejersen has joined Mozilla to head up engineering and development of the browser, and France Telecom researcher Brad Lassey would also join the team.
The company currently provides Mozilla for the Nokia N800, and Minimo -- a Mozilla-based browser for mobile devices -- is available for other mobile devices. However, the company wants to port the Firefox experience to the mobile phone above all else.
Sejersen and Lassey fill out a dedicated team which focuses its efforts on mobile devices. In the second version of the Mozilla codebase, the mobile phone is considered a 'Tier 1' device, meaning platform decisions will be made with the mobile device in mind.
Firefox Mobile operates much like the desktop version, including support for XUL and extensions. Additionally, the group is looking into portability options, where a user could easily port preferences, bookmarks, and so forth between the mobile and the desktop.
Mozilla has stopped short of giving any exact time frame for the release of any browser, only saying it will appear no earlier than 2008, and likely after Firefox 3 is completed.
"This project is focused on Mozilla technology that will ship after Firefox 3," Mozilla engineering vice president Mike Schroepfer wrote. "We're at least as excited as you about getting Mozilla's great web capabilities into your hands, literally, but it's a big undertaking, and won't be something that we can wrap up in time for Firefox 3."
Mozilla said it is also soliciting comments from the developer community on which platforms it should ship mobile Firefox.
Mozilla for the Nokia N800 has certain name - MicroB and it's already done (see browser.garage.maemo.org) and announced at GUADEC 2007. Moreover, MicroB is a full featured engine exactly for mobile devices.
Mobile Firefox is gonna have Firefox UI + Gecko engine, am I wrong?
If no, I'd like to see that UI in small screen.
If yes that why it's Mobile Firefox and not Mobile Gecko?
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|I look forward to seeing a mobile version of Firefox whenever the Mozilla team finishes the project to their expectations.
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|Hmm it would be interesting to see if they pull it off for the sony PSP, it's a "platform" I would consider too.
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|There is already a mobile version of Firefox, though it's completely bloated and best used on WM5 pda devices. Doesn't work so well on HTC smart phones.
http://mobilefirefox.com/
It's not made by Mozilla, but it's a port to WM5.
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|go Mozilla!
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|Awesome.
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|This would be great. Mobile browsers (yes opera and I.E.) currently suck. I haven't tried Safari, but I'm not paying $400 just to give it a whirl.
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|Safari is beautiful.....it puts other mobile browsers to shame 100x over. It's not just that it renders pages like you'd see on your computer, but the touch interface, the high res screen, and the fact that you can use the whole screen for safari just make it great. I honestly don't know if a mobile firefox on a current WM6 device could even compete simply b/c of the interface and screen real estate safari gets on the iPhone.
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|Safari on the iPhone is very very nice, BUT, it's not the best. smartphone users want the experience one has on the desktop = ease, simplicity, practical, add-on friendly, opensourced. almost there but not quite. hopefully they dont just port firefox into a mobile version. i'd rather have them start over from scratch.
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|Save your effort, Mozilla! I have all I need in Opera Mini, thanks. I doubt a mobile FF browser will be as fast when it eventually appears as Opera's smart little Mini browser is now.
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|Wait ... I have Opera Mini v4.0 Beta 2 -- am I missing something here? Are you satisfied with it? It's fast and smart ... yes ... but it's not actually THAT good.
Sure, free is free, but Opera v4.0 Beta 2 is still a stepping stone to something usable as far as I see it. It's a novelty item for me and Opera Mini v3.0 works better even if sites are rendered 'like a cell phone'
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