AT MWC 2013, the then Mozilla CEO Gary Kovacs said that Firefox OS phones will be available from Sprint in early 2014. The company appears to have backtracked on that comment. Mitchell Baker, Mozilla’s Executive Chair, said that the OpenMobile Summit that the company currently does not have any plans to launch Firefox OS phones in the US. The company is reportedly “actively exploring” manufacturer and operator partnerships for the US market at this point in time.
Those who can’t wait to get their hands on a Firefox OS phone can opt for the developer device that’s being sold through eBay, Mozilla says that over 1,500 units of the developer device have been sold to date. For now, the company wants to focus on markets other than the U.S. The primary reason behind this is price, which Mozilla wants to keep low enough so that there’s greater chance of success in emerging markets. Its definitely not like Mozilla will never bring the Firefox OS phones to the US, as previously mentioned, there’s already the option to purchase a developer device. Who knows, perhaps the company’s exploration of possible partnerships with manufacturers and operators might bring the phones to the U.S. some time next year after all.
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