Earlier this year, Mozilla debuted its first Firefox OS developer phones to showcase the nascent and rapidly evolving operating system.
The above-mentioned devices were equipped with 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of storage, a three-megapixel digital camera and a battery packing 1580 mAh of power. The dev handsets were also loaded with a 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 processor and 3.5-inch display set at 480 x 320 pixels.
As Mozilla gets closer to offering the operating system to various smartphone makers, the company has detailed the minimum specifications for certified “Powered by Firefox” OS devices. If the devices meet the minimum specifications, they will be authorized to use the Powered by Firefox logo.
Other than meeting minimum hardware specifications, there are also some software guidelines the devices must address as well. To be Powered by Firefox OS certified, the smartphone will have to offer the Firefox mobile browser and access to the official Firefox Marketplace. One interesting aspect of the Firefox OS is that Mozilla is encouraging carriers and developers to design and launch alternative app stores and payment methods in addition to its own Firefox Marketplace.
As for hardware specifications, smartphones must have at least an 800 MHz single-core processor, 256 MB of RAM, and a QVGA resolution display. Clearly, these minimum specifications won’t be up to par for most avid smartphone fans, but for developing markets or shoppers on a budget looking for a very inexpensive and basic device, a minimum spec device could be appealing.
Two devices meeting these minimum specifications have already been announced including the ZTE Open and the Alcatel One Touch Fire. It is likely that some uncertified devices will surface running the operating system, but they won’t be permitted to use the “Powered by Firefox OS” branding.
