Android users will now be able to test-drive the newly launched Firefox OS 2.5 on their handsets.
Mozilla has just launched the new OS as a Developer Preview which users can now install on their Android handsets. In the past however, users can only test-drive Firefox OS on their Android devices through a third-party hack. The new OS now has full support from Mozilla.
"Today we have made Firefox OS 2.5 available worldwide," wrote Peter Dolanjski on Mozilla's Hacks site.
There are at least three major new features to look forward to in the new Firefox OS 2.5.
First, the new OS now has add-ons which can extend only one app or several apps or all including the system app.
Next, the new OS comes with a new Firefox privacy feature known as "Private Browsing with Tracking Protection." The feature allows users to manipulate how they are tracked in their browsing activity in a number of sites.
Third, users can now pin any web site or web page into their home screen which they intend to use at a later time. Dubbed "Pin the Web," it helps in providing a stronger distinction between web apps and web sites.
"Firefox OS 2.5 Developer Preview is an app that lets you experience Firefox OS as an alternate home screen on your Android device without having to re-flash and replace your Android installation," added Dolanjski.
Android users who intend on installing the experimental app will learn that it actually replaces a number of elements of their homescreen with the web-based offering from Firefox. It also works akin to a launcher of a set of bundled apps since it comes with a set of system apps for messages, phone calls, emails and app store.
It should be noted that Mozilla has been working for years now on optimizing its own OS. Otherwise known as Firefox OS, the company had originally designed it for use in cost-effective smartphones. However, Mozilla changes its plans and now urges users to install Firefox OS because of its features and not because of its cost-effectiveness.
Users should also remember that Firefox OS makes use of a single home button which means that they won't be able to use the back button when navigating a page.
Photo: Karlis Dambrans I Flickr
