Earlier this week, Mozilla announced the first two devices that will run (natively) Firefox OS. They are only for developers, and are not the spec-beasts that we've come to expect from the countless M7, Moto X, SGS IV and Xperia rumors, but apparently, the initial Firefox phones aren't going to be about high-end hardware.
On Tuesday, Mozilla and Spanish phonemaker Geeksphone announced the first two Firefox OS developer preview handsets — the Keon and the Peak. Both models, which will be sold only to developers, fall in line with what Mozilla says the Firefox OS is being built for — low-power, low-cost hardware for first-time smartphone buyers in emerging markets. These aren’t built to be iPhone, or even Nokia Windows Phone, rivals.
- Wired
So, what's the point?
Here's what makes me confused, all the articles I see written about Firefox OS keep using the word "open." To read some articles on Firefox OS, one would think that any old consumer with HTLM5 skills would be able to completely customize every facet of their operating system.
Firefox OS will allow you to script into the phone APIs. This means you can control the phone functionality, as well as SMS functionality. This is a feature no previous phone operating system has made available to date [...] Android can claim to be “open source” or “open” all day long. The fact of the matter is, Google is making over a billion dollars a year and is a for profit company. Firefox is not; they are a foundation that is trying to build what’s best for us developers and people. That ensures the platform will stay open and not be corporately owned.
- Pinhead.tv
Here's the problem though, when you go on Mozilla's own website detailing the many benefits of Firefox OS, nowhere do you see the words "open" and "users" or "consumers." What I do see a lot of is "carriers" and "OEMs." And that scares me.
Freedom from proprietary mobile platformsWe’re collaborating with OEMs and carriers directly, giving them more influence to meet the specific needs of their users and market. Users and developers aren’t locked in to one platform, so they can access their info and use apps across multiple devices.
Customization for OEMs and operators
OEMs and operators will be able to provide content and services across their entire device portfolio, regardless of OS. And they will be able to customize user experiences, manage app distribution and retain customer attention, loyalty and billing relationships.
- Mozilla
Correct me if I'm wrong, but all of this "openness" and "customization" is for carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and others to more easily implement their bloat and silly corporate branding on our devices, right?
I'm all for the capitalistic desire to customize your product for what you think your consumer base desires, but I thought we already had that with Android. Isn't that part of Android's "fragmentation problem," that carriers and OEMs have too much say in what the operating system looks like and does, and that autonomy is what makes the updating process as slow as it is for some carriers and OEMs?
What am I missing?
This weekend's big question is easy (and I can tell you this, it's one thing my wife has proven excellent at with a little practice)... Tell me why I'm mistaken. Explain why I should be more excited about Firefox OS than I am. Is this (along with Ubuntu on phones) going to be the next big thing and I just don't get it? Simply put, if Firefox is going to be a step forward for consumer freedom, why?
Hit us up, and Happy Saturday!
