UPDATE: 15/12/2015 - Mozilla has backpedalled on claims that it would abandon the mobile space completely.
While the OS provider is no longer focusing on handsets, it is shifting its focus towards the Internet of Things and Connected Homes, as well as providing open source solutions to mobile operators.
SVP of Connected Devices Ari Jaaksi said: “We are proud of the benefits Firefox OS added to the Web platform and will continue to experiment with the user experience across connected devices. We will build everything we do as a genuine open source project, focused on user experience first and build tools to enable the ecosystem to grow."
ORIGINAL STORY: Mozilla has reportedly abandoned its attempt to break into the mobile device space, stating that it “wasn’t able to offer the best experience possible”.
Best known for its Firefox browser, the company created the Firefox OS in 2012 as an open-source rival to Google’s Android OS. The system was supported by several operators and vendors, with a number of bespoke devices being released during its lifetime. New handsets were being launched in Africa as recently as May this year.
Originally aimed at spreading mobile internet to the low-income market, Firefox OS has not had a significant impact in the smartphone space – possibly due to Android devices falling substantially in price, and thereby cornering Firefox’s intended market opportunity. The platform also lacks the established ecosystem boasted by Android.
Signs that Mozilla was shifting its focus from low-cost devices emerged earlier this year, when the firm scrapped a proposed $25 Firefox phone so that it could “focus on efforts that provide a better user experience, rather than focusing on cost alone”. Additionally, several high-ranking executives have left the Firefox OS team.
Ari Jaaksi, SVP of connected devices for Mozilla, has stated that the company will “stop offering Firefox OS smartphones through carrier channels” but that it would “share more on our work and new experiences across connected devices soon”. The company has recently talked up the platform’s potential applications outside of smartphones, such as in smart TVs.
