Huawei, ZTE, Alcatel, and LG are already into Firefox OS and now Sony, too. Sony has announced that it has partnered with Telefonica for developing a device that will run Mozilla’s browser-based Firefox operating system, and the company expects to bring out the handset in 2014. It appears like the Sony Mobile engineers are already working on a project to meet that goal.

Sony, as you know, is currently into Android as its mobile solution. The question is whether indulging into the Firefox OS will do them any good. Firefox is meant to be used with web apps. You might remember that back in 2007 the iPhone also came out with a web app experience, but later Apple changed plans which resulted in the App Store. So will the Firefox OS survive in the web app space given up by the iPhone?

It will be difficult fighting against iOS and Android, but the Firefox OS can certainly take advantage of the work done by programmers for creating websites and web apps. That it targets the developing world and low-cost smartphone market could help it form a niche as well. What do you think?

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In the past we’ve covered development about Firefox OS, including their browser-based simulator for testing it out on your PC.

Still, when is Firefox OS actually coming? We’ve been hearing 2013 for a while now, but the good news is that Mozilla is finally giving us a bit more information about what the future holds.

According to Mozilla, Brazil will be the first market this year. Mozilla has also confirmed Alcatel, Qualcomm and ZTE are all partners involved in the effort to bring Firefox OS out to the market.

So what’s in store outside of Brazil? Mozilla is talking about these plans right now it seems. “Telefonica has announced plans to ship devices in Latin America in 2013. While we have no further announcements at this time, interest and momentum continues to grow in Firefox OS,” says Mozilla’s VP of products, Jay Sulivan.

The good news is that ZTE is filling in some of these blanks for us. ZTE says that they are working to bring their handsets over to Europe this year, and are also considering aiming at the North American market. Their US launch will hinge on how well Firefox OS takes off elsewhere.

So why Firefox OS? The idea is that it uses open-source technology that makes it fast and easy to use, even on low-end, low-cost hardware.

The idea is that it could be appealing towards those in the developing world or those in major markets that just can’t afford or refuse to spend high-dollar on a phone.

Additionally, since the entire OS uses technology such as HTML5, any web programmer should be able to easily be an app developer for the platform. This should make it very easy for programmers to come out with interesting apps, in theory at least.

The smartphone world is getting crowded, but Mozilla believes that Firefox OS could be perfect for the lower-end market. What do you think, do they have any chance at all?

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[CES 2013] So far, CES seems to be ushering in a new era of budget-priced tablets. First we saw the Acer B1-A71, and now with the new Alcatel One Touch Tab family.

There are three devices in this new series, each planning to arrive in Q3 with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean in tow. While this is a long ways to wait, we will say that these are certainly interesting options for those looking for sub-$200 devices.

The cheapest of these is the $129 One Touch Tab 7, a very basic tablet with a 1GHz CPU and 1GB of RAM. Other specs for this base model include a 7-inch 1024×600 TFT display, a VGA front cam and 4GB of storage. There is also microSD for expansion.

Next up we have the $149 One Touch Tab 7 HD. This tablet has a 1280×800 resolution display, 1GB of RAM and a dual-core 1.6GHz GPU.

Looking for a bigger screen? That is where the One Touch Tab 8 HD comes in, with its 8-inch 1024×768 IPS display. Like the 7-inch HD model, you also get 1GB of RAM, 8GB storage, microSD, 2MP rear cam and a VGA front cam.

Besides “3rd quarter” as a launch target, we don’t know much more about when or what markets Alcatel is aiming for. What do you think, any of these three budget devices should up your alley?

The post Alcatel One Touch Tab Series Announced for Q3, Starting at $129 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

It’s called Uppleva and it means “experience.” These new home entertainment units aren’t just the pieces of furniture where you can hang your HDTV — IKEA already has that kind of thing going on — but instead, it’s a complete kit that includes the entertainment unit, of course, but it also incorporates an LED TV, 2.1 sound system (with wireless subwoofer), Wi-Fi for smart TV features, and DVD/Blu-ray players. As with all other IKEA products, you’ll get a few options for colors and configurations, but they’ll all have to be put together yourself when you get home unless you want to pay for assembly.

So, who has IKEA partnered with to make these TVs? Samsung? LG? Sony? Nope, none of the above. Instead, the Swedish company has turned to TCL of China, the same manufacturer responsible for RCA products in the United States and Alcatel products in Europe. The LED panels are presumably 1080p full HD and IKEA is saying they have a 400Hz refresh rate, four HDMI inputs, two USB ports, and DivX HD support. They’ll be offered in four sizes and work with a single remote.

Pricing for the base model starts at SEK 6,500 ($995) and it goes up from there. Initial launch is being planned this fall in Sweden, France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Denmark, Norway, and Portugal. Worldwide availability follows in spring 2013.

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