Mozilla announces Firefox OS for smartphones

Mozilla has announced it has rebranded its HTML5 based platform for smartphones from “Boot to Gecko” to Firefox OS. The platform, which is being represented as “fully open” will enable HTML5-based web apps to have the same API access as native apps on a smartphone.
Firefox OS has received support from major global carriers along with handset manufacturers like TCL (Alcatel) and ZTE, which would make the first Firefox OS smartphones. These smartphones will run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chipset and will be available in early 2013. The first device would be available from ZTE on Brazil’s Vivo network (a Telefonica brand).
Mozilla reckons that Firefox OS smartphones will be available even in the low-end segment due to “the optimization of the platform for entry-level smartphones and the removal of unnecessary middleware layers.” However, it remains to be seen whether Firefox OS can take on Android, which is bringing down the smartphone experience to the lowest segment possible.