Germany to get first Firefox OS phone in October

Beginning in October, German budget mobile operator Congstar will begin selling the first Firefox OS phone to hit the country.

According to the Deutsche Telekom subsidiary, the "affordable" device — the Alcatel One Touch Fire — represents "a viable alternative for Apple and Android users".

The phone will be available on Congstar's modular tariff system, which can be customized ad nauseum based on customer preference. For instance, 100 minutes of calls and 200MB of data would be roughly €15 per month, while a package with unlimited text messages and 3GB of data would be €36.70 monthly. No rolling contract is necessary, and the plan can also be customised to be used on an ad hoc basis, with a nine eurocent per minute rate for calls.

No pricing information has been announced for the phone, but in Poland, it's priced at about €100 for a prepaid option or the negligible cost of one zloty if customers sign up for a two-year plan.

With a 1Ghz processor, 256MB RAM and only one camera, the Alcatel One Touch Fire is a decidedly entry-level smartphone.

Want to test it?

In Germany, Congstar is promoting the phone by offering would-be testers a chance to use it for two weeks before launch, and then review the Firefox OS device. However, users will have to submit a video detailing why they want to test the phone, and what they expect from the OS, through through Congstar's website.

The Germany launch represents part of a continued push by T-Mobile — Deutsche Teleom's main mobile brand — of the Firefox OS operating system in Europe. In July, the company began offering the same phone and operating system in Poland; and Greece and Hungary are on the way sometime in the autumn, according to a statement from Deutsche Telekom.

The company has been involved in the development of the Linux-based operating system since 2011, and has called it "an important step towards increased competition among ecosystems".