The device is unlocked from any network and with unlocked bootloader as well

May 28, 2014 10:15 GMT  ·  By

Mozilla’s Firefox operating system is surely not the most popular among smartphone users, but the mobile platform is only at the beginning and, for the time being, it seems to avoid any clash with competition.

This is one of the reasons the first smartphones powered by Firefox OS were launched in a handful of countries in Latin America and a few in Europe.

However, as times goes by, Firefox OS needs a solid community of developers and as many end-users as possible. One of the best ways to attract more customers is to offer them lots of apps and games that would run smoothly on their Firefox-powered smartphones.

The new Flame smartphone is a Firefox OS developer phone that is meant to make it easier for those who create apps and games for Mozilla’s mobile platform to bring their work to customers fast and easy.

The device has been manufactured by a company called T2Mobile and will be distributed by the same company via everythingbuy.com. Those who wish to develop for Firefox OS may be pleased to know that the Flame smartphone is available for only $170 (€125) outright.

Aside from the low price, it’s also worth mentioning the smartphone comes with unlocked bootloader and is unlocked from any network. The specs configuration is decent considering most of Firefox OS handsets are low-end.

For example, Flame is equipped with a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. The good news is that each developer can decide how much RAM their Flame can pack (256MB – 1GB RAM).

The smartphone comes with only 8GB of storage, but users will be able to further expand storage up to 32GB via microSD memory card. There’s also a 5-megapixel photo snapper on the back with autofocus, LED flash and video recording.

In the front, there’s a secondary 2-megapixel camera and a 4.5-inch IPS LCD FWVGA (854 x 480 pixels) capacitive touchscreen display. When it comes to connectivity, the Flame is an all-rounder, as it offers dual-SIM capability, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, NFC (Near Field Communication) and microUSB.

Flame will be powered by a 1800 mAh battery and will run the latest version of Firefox OS. Speaking of which, Mozilla states that it will provide the Flame “with updates to each new major version of Firefox OS and a simple mechanism for switching between different release channels.”

The bad news is that those who pre-order the Flame will only receive it late next month. According to Mozilla, the smartphone ships free anywhere in the world, but it takes about 4 weeks to reach its destination.