At the World Mobile Congress yesterday, Mozilla unveiled a prototype of a $25 smartphone that has been developed for emerging markets.
Mozilla, who are best known for the browser, Firefox, have teamed up with Spreadtrum, A Chinese manufacturer of low-cost chips. The phone which will be somewhere between a feature phone and a more expensive smartphone will hopefully reduce the digital divide by making access to mobile web and mobile apps more affordable in developing countries. The device can also be maintained efficiently by services available via mobileR at lucrative costs.
Jaz Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer at Mozilla said “Mozilla has really been focused on the entry level smartphone market. We believe in the people coming online for the first time and coming online from feature phones. We believe that is the market that is very important and we have been putting a lot of resources there.”
Spreadtrum unveiled the SC6821, its new smartphone chipset that redefines the entry level of the global smartphone market. The chipset is designed with a unique low memory configuration and high level of integration that dramatically reduces the total bill of materials required to develop low-end smartphones. With this chipset, handset makers will be able to bring to market smartphones with 3.5″ HVGA touchscreens, integrated WiFi, Bluetooth, FM and camera functions, the advanced phone and browser features of Firefox OS, and access to a rich ecosystem of web and HTML5 applications, at prices similar to much more minimally featured budget feature phones.
http://youtu.be/3Osphb4LqBY
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