The LG Fireweb is upon us, marking the first time the electronics manufacturer has offered a Firefox OS-based smartphone. The 4-inch device joins other devices from ZTE Open and Alcatel One (ZTE Open and Alcatel One Touch Fire).
The device is being targeted in Brazil via local carrier Telefonica.
On the Mozilla blog the company writes:
“Telefónica announced that Vivo will sell the new LG Fireweb and Alcatel One Touch Fire Firefox OS phones in Brazil, starting today. Telefónica also announced that they will launch Firefox OS phones soon in Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.”
The LG Fireweb, like its competitors, is an entry-level smartphone for users who do not require the power or bells and whistles offered on the iOS, Android, and Windows Phone platforms.
The Fireweb offers a 4-inch HVGA TFT touchscreen display, which is powered by a 3G Qualcomm processor with 1GHz and 2GB memory. It also features a 5MP camera, LED flash, and 480 x 320 pixels on its display.
Features out of the box include a web browser, calendar, and a few other apps. Users can then download Facebook, Wikipedia, eBay, Facebook, Kayak, and other apps from the Fireweb’s app store, known as the Firefox Marketplace.
The LG Fireweb is already being offered by Vivo Brazil at a cost of $209 for pay-as-you-go and $59 for subscribers.
In a statement about the Firefox OS and LG’s participation, COO of Mozilla, Jay Sullivan, reveals:
“We built Firefox OS as part of Mozilla’s mission to put the power of the Web in people’s hands and offer the best Web experience possible. 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. Our partnership with Telefónica Vivo demonstrates the rich, new experiences offered on Firefox OS by combining the best global and local content with LG’s elegant new device experience.”
Mozilla has promised to expand its Firefox OS throughout the world with the help of 20 smartphone manufacturers and wireless carriers. The company has based the OS off an HTML5 backend that is meant to keep costs low, while offering decently built devices for the masses.
The LG Fireweb and other smartphones are now facing some steep competition from the $99 iPhone 5C and various entry-level Google Android based smartphones.
What do you think of the LG Fireweb? Is it a big win or a big flop given the current industry standards for smartphones?
