The fledgling Firefox OS may soon be powering a tablet, according to a report from Focus Taiwan. According to the report, Firefox and Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. will be unveiling a new mobile device on June 3rd at a press event.
Both Hon Hai and Mozilla have not commented on the report, but Focus Taiwan cites an “industry insider” who claims that the new Firefox OS device will be a tablet. Hon Hai, who manufactures components that are used in Apple and Android devices garners around 60 percent of its profits from the sale of Apple products, which have cooled off in the last quarter. A Firefox OS device could help them grow their profits until the next round of Apple devices are rolled out later this year.
Firefox has partnered with a bevy of carriers to carry its new handsets, mostly in European and other emerging markets. The HTML-5 based mobile OS is currently available on two handsets, manufactured by Spanish company GeeksPhone, the Keon and the Peak. Both smartphones have mid-range specs and are targeted at developers.
The Firefox OS was first announced at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this year, with manufacturers such as Alcatel, LG, ZTE, Sony and Huawei signing on to develop Firefox OS powered devices. The devices will roll out in emerging markets before tackling the U.S. market, which is heavily dominated by Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android mobile operating systems.
[Via: Focus Taiwan]