Mozilla has officially declared Firefox OS dead.
Today, in an email sent to developers, Mozilla said that “we will end development on Firefox OS for smartphones after the version 2.6 release” as well as ceasing to accept app submissions for Android, desktop or tablet to the marketplace from March 29.
According to that email, the devices team has “has been testing out a new product innovation process” which indicates a replacement platform may be on the way — but we’ll have to wait until sometime in the “first half of the year” to find out more.
The company says it will continue the “foxfooding” program that tests handsets, but it won’t be using a “Firefox OS build as we know it today.”
Firefox OS, which only got its first official device in 2013, will reach end of support in May with the company removing all staff and supporting team members from the project at that point.
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It’s not a complete surprise, with Mozilla indicating an impending pivot in December, though this gives the project some finality.
The team admits that it was a hard decision, but says that “the main reason they are being made is to ensure we are focusing our energies and resources on bringing the power of the web to IoT.”
Developers and maintainers on the thread are extremely disappointed in the news, saying “please don’t throw the towel on phones” and that “killing off a community effort that finally had potential by removing every single person on staff from supporting it is utterly sad and disappointing.”
The cryptic “product innovation” process indicates Mozilla isn’t done yet, but it’s unclear what that really means.
➤ Firefox OS/Connected Devices Announcement [Mozilla]
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