Mozilla champions HTML5 worldwide

Just weeks after the successful launches of the first Firefox OS smartphones to Spain, Colombia, Venezuela and Poland, Mozilla has announced that new launches of Firefox OS smartphones will begin soon with more devices and in more markets around the world.

App designers may already know this is not “yet another platform” to factor for projects. Rather than building apps for Firefox OS — developers are able to build HTML5 apps for the Web. Part of the Firefox OS genius is that it enables developers to access the hardware of the phone by means of Web APIs.

For designers and developers that have already have broader tech access, a global view of web design will go from academic protocol and specifically targeted localizations to an explosion of new potentials and new demands.

Mozilla’s focus, however, is on bringing the power to create and communicate to designers and businesses in the countries that “hold the phone”: upcoming app workshops are scheduled for Guadalajara, Mexico, on Saturday, October 26, and Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, November 23.

In keeping with its mission to “keep the power of the Web in people’s hands,” Mozilla is wasting no time in establishing partnerships with more regional providers. The OS will appear in Brazil and other Latin American markets in Q4 of this year. Other partners have announced releases in Germany, Greece, Hungary, Serbia and Montenegro, also by the end of 2013.

By focusing its efforts away from the saturated North American market Firefox OS is aiming to establish itself as a strong global player. If it succeeds in establishing itself, its commitment to HTML5 standards can only be a positive thing for mobile developers in every territory.

Would you switch to Firefox OS? Are HTML5 apps better than native apps? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

WDD Staff

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