Following the launch last year of the first Firefox OS smartphones, Mozilla is putting the final touches on Firefox OS for tablets. In early January, Mozilla announced the launch of a new contribution program “aimed at accelerating the build of Firefox OS for tablets and its supporting ecosystem”. The program will provide qualified contributors with reference tablet hardware to support their development efforts. The first such reference tablet has now been revealed by Asa Dotzler.
Called the InFocus New tab F1 and built by Foxconn, it comes with the following specifications:
- Processor: 1.0GHz quad-core Allwinner A31 (ARM Cortex-A7) with PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU
- Operating system: Mozilla Firefox OS
- Cellular connectivity: None
- Other connectivity: GPS, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
- Display: 10.1-inch WXGA (1280×800) IPS
- RAM: 2GB DDR3
- Internal storage: 16GB
- External storage: MicroSD cards
- Rear-facing camera: 5MP
- Front-facing camera: 2MP
- Connectors: Audio jack, micro-USB
- Battery: 7000mAh
- Dimensions: 266 × 170 × 9.7 millimeters
- Weight: 580 grams
While these are certainly not specifications worthy of a flagship tablet, it’s not Mozilla’s intention to build such a device. Much as with its Firefox phones, it is building its tablet OS for emerging markets. Much as Samsung and its partners have recognized with Tizen, more mature markets clearly belong to Android and iOS for now but new operating systems still have a chance to establish themselves in emerging markets where customer preferences are still in flux.
Given that this tablet will be provided to developers as Firefox OS tablet reference hardware, it remains to be seen if it will ever launch as a device that consumers can get their hands on. If nothing else, it gives us a good look at what the first such tablets could look like when they do launch.
Sources : Asa Dotzler // Geek.com