14 DAY TRIAL // Fennec, the Firefox Mobile browser Mozilla has in the works for several mobile phone platforms, including Windows Mobile, was reported last week to soon come out in a Beta version. The web browser was supposed to show up this week on an HTC Touch Pro handset, as the development team announced recently, so that we could have a glimpse at what the application is able to offer to consumers.
Although the team managed to reach the final stages in the development process of Fennec, it seems that the browser is not yet ready for prime time. While we were expecting to see a Beta build of the application on the loose, we learned that only an Alpha version surfaced, and that it doesn't look like it’s anywhere near proper use.
According to the news on the web, the mobile browser seems quite unstable and rather hard to use, yet there are a lot of improvements that can be seen, compared to the tablet versions that were spotted earlier. Even if the Mobile Firefox does not look ready for mass consumption, the features that are delivered are noteworthy nonetheless.
The opened tabs in Fennec are organized in a tray-like manner, while the address bar features extendibility, offering suggestions and fast access to search engines. The browser also comes with an extensions/add-on interface, allowing users to customize the application to suit them best.
As soon as a stable version of the browser is ready and out, we'll be able to see its full potential at work. Undoubtedly, there are a lot of people out there who have high hopes when it comes to the Mobile Firefox, as it might prove to be the first mobile browser that could be able to outpace the capabilities of Safari on the iPhone, or those of Opera.
Hopefully, Mozilla won't make the Windows Mobile users wait too long before releasing Fennec, but they shouldn't hurry too much after all, for we wouldn't like to see a Beta version that is as full of bugs as the Alpha. Until we have more to tell about the browser, take a look at the video bellow, to see how the guys from Pocketnow are testing the released Alpha version of Fennec.