LG launches its first Firefox OS phone
Handset maker LG has launched its first mobile phone running the open source Firefox OS.
The LG Fireweb is the first phone to ship running the latest version of the Firefox OS, 1.1. It is the latest of a handful of devices running the new OS, such as the low-cost ZTE Open and Alcatel One Touch handsets.
The Fireweb has a 4-inch HVGA touchscreen, a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, 2GB of memory and a five megapixel camera. The modest specs are similar to other Firefox OS handsets.
The Fireweb will initially be available in Brazil via telecoms operator Telefonica Vivo, followed by the other South American countries of Peru, and Uruguay, as well as Mexico.
Telefonica already offers other Firefox OS handsets in Colombia, Spain and Venezuela.
The first version of the Firefox OS was released in April this year, with the recent 1.1 release adding more basic functionality. Additions include MMS support, a new API for push notifications, and improvements to core apps, such as the calendar, contacts manager and email. The onscreen keyboard also gained an auto-correct feature for fixing misspelled words.
Mozilla has said that it plans to release a new version of its smartphone OS every three months.
"We're happy to see Firefox OS gain momentum with partners launching new devices in new markets and developers around the world being inspired to innovate," Mozilla COO Jay Sullivan said in a statement.