9 Things You Should Know About Firefox OS

Firefox OS has gained enough momentum across the world even though in most places it hasn’t launched yet. The anticipation is so big that one would easily wonder what are the perks of Firefox OS and why you should probably get yourself one.

Firefox OS has already launched in some countries around the world and recently more carriers are expected to launch Firefox OS powered device in various parts of Asia.

So what’s the deal with Firefox OS? What should you know before you decide to get one for yourself? In today’s post, we try to explain 10 benefits of having a Firefox OS phone.

1. Price

Firefox OS device does not have to be pricey. In fact, because of the technologies used in the device, you do not need high powered processors or gigabytes of RAM. Because the core operating system is basically a browser (don’t let that fool you!), the hardware requirement of the device is really low, making it possible to produce extremely low-priced devices without sacrificing performance.

2. HTML5-Powered

You will be forgiven to not know what HTML5 is and what its powers are. Just to give you an idea, I would say that the web is transforming into HTML5 technologies. If you watch YouTube videos in a modern browser, chances are, you are watching YouTube in HTML5, not in Flash.

Because Firefox OS is based on HTML5, it’s the web in your hands. Most, if not all, web apps powered by HTML5 will work just fine on your Firefox OS device even if there isn’t an app for that. It’s also super easy for app developers to port their web apps into Firefox OS because it uses the same technology as the web.

3. Specs are not Everything

Unlike what you’ve learned thanks to Android powered smartphones, specifications do not define a device when it is using Firefox OS. Like I already said, Firefox OS does not need high-end super powerful earth-shattering hardware to run smooth. Manufacturers would choose to pack low specifications because i) the device does not need more, and ii) it helps keep the price reasonably low.

However, camera megapixels and storage might be a different case.

4. Social

If your real life is clouded by social networks, Firefox OS welcomes you! Because the core operating system is deeply integrated with Twitter and Facebook — two of the biggest social medias today. Even if you spend most of your day in YouTube, you’ll be happy to know there’s an official YouTube application for Firefox OS. So if social networking is your thing, you won’t regret Firefox OS.

5. Low Data Consumption

Because of some compression technologies that Mozilla uses in its Firefox OS, if you’re a mobile user who buys small internet data packs/volume, you’ll be saving your data by using Firefox OS. Because it will simply consume less data than most other smartphones. Again, this is possible because of Mozilla’s special web compression technique.

6. Short of Apps

This is one area where all other mobile operating systems fall short because iOS and Android both have enormous amount of apps available to them. Good news is, because Firefox OS is largely powered and being developed by the community, the app store known as Firefox Marketplace is improving rapidly. More and more apps are being released. But you should know beforehand that at present, you’ll miss some of the apps — like Instagram or WhatsApp — on Firefox OS. However, this is one area where you might want to sacrifice for the performance you’re getting in a rather low price.

7. Google Maps Support

This is a big deal for those of us that use Google Maps extensively. Unlike low-end Android phones where firing up Google Maps often causes the device to run slow, Firefox OS is completely compatible with Google Maps. Even using the browser, you can take advantage of all the features of Google Maps, and if your device has a GPS, you can see your global positioning in real time without sacrificing performance or speed.

8. Updates

This is almost certain that you’d be receiving all major updates to the operating system for a long time. Because the core OS does not need high spec’d hardware, your phone will be capable of running the latest version for a long time since when you purchase the phone. So you can expect not to be left out when a major version is announced.

9. Community Support

Not to say that other operating systems don’t have community support, but with Firefox OS, it’ll be just a bit better. Because people like you and me are actively developing Firefox OS from all over the world, and they are more than happy to help you out should you need help with anything. What’s even better is, you’ll probably find a team of Mozilla contributors/volunteers called Mozillians in your location!

Reposted from http://www.moz-mag.com/2014/09/9-things-know-firefox-os/