Cost smartphones that can reach 25 dollars using its software Mozilla, will begin to be sold at India and Indonesia within the year, a company executive told the Wall Street Journal.
Mozilla is promoting its Firefox OS operating system for low-cost smartphones in developing markets as an alternative to Android and iOS, and has so far closed partnerships with device manufacturers and carriers to launch five Firefox phones in Europe and Latin America. However, prices for these phones exceed $60, meaning the devices remain too expensive for most consumers in India and other Southeast Asian countries, said Gong Li, chief operating company officer in an interview on the sidelines of Mobile Asia Expo. "One dollar is a big deal for consumers in developing countries. "It's difficult to sell phones that cost more than $ 50 in these markets."
That's why Mozilla is working with the Chinese chip maker Spreadtrum Communications, targeting a low-cost chipset that paves the way for smartphones of 25 dollars in the year.
"With 25 dollars, there is no gap between a smartphone and a feature phone," Gong said. "The attractive price could encourage feature phone users to change them with smartphones."
The company plans to expand its partnerships to include retailers and local brands such as Micromax Informatics in India. Also, according to a post on the company's blog, Mozilla is already working with Intex and Spice, two of the country's top mobile device brands. The company also started a partnership with Chunghwa Telecom Ταϊβάν.
With lower prices and a larger distribution network, Mozilla expects the availability of Firefox phones to exceed 10 million in the next 12 months. Currently, according to Gong, the operating "runs" on over one million smartphones.
However, in any case, Firefox is facing a tough "battle" because low-cost Android phones are already in China and other emerging markets, and many analysts argue that the operating system's ecosystem is not as well developed as its competitors.
As it became known, summer will launch two new devices with Firefox in the summer: ZTE Open II and Alcatel Onetouch Fire E.
Source: naftemporiki.gr