What do we have here? Well Mozilla appears to be completely ignoring a version of the upcoming Firefox Mobile for Android without stating a reason why this is happening. In an interview with Silicon Republic, Mozilla's Christian Sejersen has all but confirmed not committing to a version of Firefox Mobile for Android. Here is what he had to say in regards to Google Android:
Mozilla is doing nothing right now or in the near future.
My guess on why Mozilla is shunning Android is the fact that Android development is solely based on Java at the moment. For the time being all Android users will just have to make due with Chrome-Lite or whatever Google chooses to call it.
For the record I must also add that Firefox Mobile will not see the light of day on the Apple iPhone. Why them too? It has something to do with tight restrictions and some browser called Safari. Let's hope Mozilla comes to their senses before too long.
7 Responses to “Mozilla Ignores Firefox Mobile for Android” Leave a reply ›
That was Christian Sejersen, not Mike Schroepfer, being quoted in the article that you linked to.
wow very interesting
http://www.jaiderbertoli.com/...-mobile-g1-in-stores-now
Mozilla does feel snubbed by Google with Chrome coming out especially as they stated they would have a version for the iPhone before Android.
Google did supply Mozilla some $50 million of hush money, 3 year search extension, shortly before Chrome came out to keep them from feeling totally abandoned.
http://www.techcrunch.com/...al-with-google-for-3-years/
,Michael Martin
http://www.googleandblog.com/
Yes, the reason they're not fooling with Android is that Mozilla works on the OS, not on a JVM like Dalvik. Also, they're more focused on devices that have a lame browser, of which Android is not a good example. (Hello, Blackberry!) "We've been concentrating on other platforms that don't have a browser or didn't have a good one," Schroepfer told me in May, though I didn't quote him on that point. (http://news.cnet.com/8301-13580_3-9949793-39.html). So I think "shunning" is a strong term, though no doubt many of the folks who are eager for Android are Firefox fans already and it's too bad they'll be left unsatisfied at least for awhile.
Michael I am yet to read anything about Mozilla saying "they would have a version for the iPhone before Android." Unless Apple losing up the restrictions in Mozilla's favor then I doubt what you have to say, unless you have a source I could read then everything changes. For now I will stand by what I have been reading everywhere since march!!!
Well first off, Fennec is still an alpha... with Android now at the 1.0, the last thing that Mozilla needs is a rush of regular user for something that is not ready for them yet. They need a rather small team for review and comments at the moment, hence why you see things only for N810 at the moment.
Second, I am not too sure that it would take a lot to push Fennec into Android... considering that there is a linux build for the alpha, and Android does welcome native code. If anything, all that is missing is one (or more) intrepid developer(s) to see if it recompiles for an ARM5+ arch like the phones that will find Android on them and the changes need to be made to get it working. It didn't seem to take alot to get it working on WinMo on the alpha code, so I doubt that it would take a lot in the case of Android... what is lacking here isn't if Mozilla will do it, more of Will it or will someone else get it to work.