Mobile Firefox on Its Way to Symbian S60, but Not iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android

A comprehensive list is emerging of which operating systems will get versions of the mobile version of the Firefox web browser.

It has been known for some time that the Mozilla Foundation is working on versions for Windows Mobile and Nokia's Maemo OS for the Internet Tablet line, and now the head of this project has revealed an addition: Symbian S60.

Christian Sejersen wrote on his blog that this platform's large share of the market -- almost 50% -- makes this necessary. "In order for Mozilla to be relevant in the smartphone space we need to have a presence on the Symbian platform."

The group has already kicked off work on this version. As Sejersen said, "We have worked with Symbian to understand and scope the size of the project and Symbian are supporting this with engineers to start working on this project so far. At the same time, several Symbian houses are interested in contributing work."

No iPhone, BlackBerry, or Android

Even as he adds a new platform to the list, Sejersen has listed the mobile operating systems that won't be seeing a version of Mobile Firefox.

Both Android and BlackBerry require that third-party software be written in Java, and that isn't the programming language Mozilla wants to use.

Apple blocks software that would compete with its own, so alternate web browsers can't be officially introduced for the iPhone.

More about Firefox Mobile

It will be months before the release of the mobile version of Firefox --code-named Fennec. It was only recently released as an alpha for testing and feedback purposes.

The development team is working hard to create a browser that will work well on a smartphone's relatively small screen. Users of Fennec will also be able to access their bookmarks and browsing history from the desktop version of Firefox.

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