14 DAY TRIAL // LG Electronics might be the first mobile phone maker in the world to bring to the market a smartphone running under Mozilla’s Boot to Gecko (B2G) platform.
Rumor has it that the handset vendor will announce next week an agreement with Mozilla for the release of a developer device powered by the new OS.
Boot to Gecko (B2G), Mozilla’s foray into the mobile OS area, has seen great advancements since first spotted last year, and is said to be ready for showcase at the world’s largest mobile conference of the year.
The main reason behind having a Boot to Gecko developer device coming up soon is to have the development of applications for the platform already kicked off.
The specifications for this upcoming mobile phone haven’t been unveiled for the time being. A price tag for it is not known either. However, all on the matter might be announced soon.
According to a recent article on extremetech, Mozilla’s mobile platform is advancing nicely, and should reach a “usable” state sometimes in mid-2012.
Applications for it are expected to become available for download / purchase via the Mozilla Marketplace, an app store set to debut in along with Firefox 13.
Mozilla will allow developers to submit to the application portal any software designed using open web technology (HTML5, JavaScript, CSS).
LG will not be the only mobile phone maker to release Boot to Gecko devices. Brendan Eich, the creator of JavaScript and the Chief Technology Officer of Mozilla, mentioned “partners” in a recent tweet, and that might hint at more vendors interested in the matter.
Mozilla is also expected to collaborate with carriers for the launch of B2G devices. None was specifically mentioned.
Unlike existing mobile platforms, B2G is expected to bring to the mobile space the openness than many have been seeking for years. Based on Linux, the platform will allow users to make calls using an HTML web page, take photos, browse the web or listen to music, among other.
It will be a fully working mobile platform when released later this year, and will take advantage of a series of Web APIs that are actually part of Firefox.