14 DAY TRIAL // Mozilla had a pretty straightforward strategy for its mobile division, to break through the smartphone market with very cheap devices.
Nothing really mattered as long as the Firefox-powered smartphones were functional and offered a minimum number of features that users absolutely need on their devices.
Since Mozilla launched its Firefox operating system for mobiles back in 2013, the company launched quite a few smartphones, but they were only made available in countries where Mozilla thought it could gain enough traction.
Unfortunately, that didn't happen, and as we reported over the weekend, Mozilla dropped plans to launch its lineup of ultra-cheap smartphones that would only cost $25.
The information was revealed in an email sent by Chief Executive Chris Beard to some of Mozilla's employers, which was intercepted by the press.
“We will build products that feel like Mozilla”
But that is not the most important piece of information mentioned in Beard's letter to Mozilla's workers. It looks like Mozilla has decided to focus on quality rather than making cheap smartphones.
Mozilla's new strategy for mobile division includes not only high-end specs for Firefox-powered smartphones, but also an improved user experience on these devices.
“We will build phones and connected devices that people want to buy because of the experience, not simply the price. We have not seen sufficient traction for a $25 phone, and we will not pursue all parts of the program,” says Beard in the email.
The company also plans to “build the ultimate phone experience” and in order to do that Mozilla will distribute direct distribution of Ignite builds to early adopters with existing unlocked Android devices, as part of its new development model.
According to Beard, his company “will ensure that the products we build are timely, technically excellent and high quality.” You can find the full text of Chris Beard's below.