Chinese device maker, ZTE, has announced that it would start selling its ZTE Open Firefox OS phone on the ZTE store on eBay US and UK.
Making the announcement on its website, ZTE said that the
ZTE Open will be available for the first time in Orange, priced at $79.99 on eBay US and GBP 59.99 on eBay UK. The phone will be unlocked to allow use on all mobile networks.
The move will allow ZTE to offer the first commercial Firefox OS powered handset to a wider set of consumers. The phone was earlier
launched with Telefonica in Spain, Venezuela and Colombia.
Dai Wenhong, VP of ZTE Corporation said, "It is great honor to launch the ZTE Open Firefox OS phone worldwide through eBay. ZTE is devoted to providing more options for customers globally and enabling them to live better lives via advanced technology. The ZTE Open offers customers a smartphone experience at an incredible price point, making it ideal for cost conscious consumers or those looking to upgrade to a smartphone for the first time."
Dr. Li Gong, Mozilla Senior VP of Mobile Devices continued, "Mozilla is dedicated to moving the Web forward as a platform for innovation and building products that people love. We are pleased that now we will put the full power of the Web in even more people's hands. With a great potential user base, we know that even more developers around the world will create their apps with new APIs to stimulate an inspiring new wave of innovation."
ZTE had first
showcased the ZTE Open during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013. The ZTE Open features a 3.5-inch screen with HVGA display. The smartphones is powered by a Cortex A5 processor, which clocks 1GHz. It has 256MB of RAM, and 512MB of internal storage enhanced with a 4GB microSD card that comes as part of the package. It sports a 3.2-megapixel rear camera. Connectivity options include Bluetooth, A-GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities. The ZTE Open packs in a 1,200mAh battery.
The ZTE Open offers all the functions expected from a smartphone including calls, messaging, email, camera in addition to built-in social integration with Facebook and Twitter, location-based services like Nokia HERE maps which include local transit and traffic information and features like the Firefox Web browser and the Firefox Marketplace. Applications already available on the Firefox Marketplace include eBay, Badoo, Terra, Kayak, The Weather Channel, TMZ,AOL, Wikipedia, CNNMoney, Huffington Post, Time, Facebook, Airbnb, Time Out, Twitter and SoundCloud.
The ZTE Open is the first of a number of Firefox OS devices that will be launched by Telefonica this year, offering the benefits of this new open operating system across a range of different price points. Other device manufacturers supporting Firefox OS include Alcatel OneTouch, LG, Huawei and Sony.
ZTE Open key specifications- 3.5-inch screen with HVGA display
- 1GHZ processor
- 256MB of RAM
- 512MB of internal storage
- Bluetooth, A-GPS and Wi-Fi capabilities
- 3.2-megapixel camera
- Firefox OS
- 114 x 62 x 12.5mm
- 1,200mAh battery