Firefox OS Projected to Snag 1% of Smartphone Market in 2013 Discussion

[Michael Wall]

Mozilla's smartphone operating system will be open-sourced, and is designed to increase performance on entry-level devices -- a market currently dominated by Android. It is expected to capture 1% of global smartphone shipments in 2013.

Read the full content of this Article: Firefox OS Projected to Snag 1% of Smartphone Market in 2013

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[jigwashere]

1% of global -- how many would that be?

[Hook]

1% of global -- how many would that be?

IDC predicts 2012 Smartphone sales globally will be around $686 Million, so just using that number as a straw man, that would make 1% about $6-7 Million. Money would be harder to predict because FF seems to be aimed at low end phones.

It just annoys me that FireFox can do this and HP couldn't with WebOs. Sheesh, market it in China already. I know, dead horse and all that.

[Adama D. Brown]

It just annoys me that FireFox can do this and HP couldn't with WebOs. Sheesh, market it in China already. I know, dead horse and all that.

The problem with that is, FireFox *hasn't* done it yet. Building an OS can be done by one company, but building a market is a lot harder. Being projected to reach 1% in a year doesn't mean much in terms of creating a viable platform.

[Hook]

The problem with that is, FireFox *hasn't* done it yet. Building an OS can be done by one company, but building a market is a lot harder. Being projected to reach 1% in a year doesn't mean much in terms of creating a viable platform.

I agree completely. I just think the least HP could do would be to grab 1% and go from there. ;-)

[Mitlov]

I guess I still don't understand the appeal of Firefox OS. What's it's killer app, either in terms of unique features of its user interface, or unique services that it gives you access to?

[LandSurveyor]

IDC predicts 2012 Smartphone sales globally will be around $686 Million, so just using that number as a straw man, that would make 1% about $6-7 Million. Money would be harder to predict because FF seems to be aimed at low end phones.

It just annoys me that FireFox can do this and HP couldn't with WebOs. Sheesh, market it in China already. I know, dead horse and all that.

I feel your pain. They finally came out with a Pre big enough for adult male hands and never sold it here. No OS can make it if the manufacturer disowns it. Water under the bridge.

I think that if one make seizes on it, they will keep pushing it. As for the North American market, I expect it will arrive here and be sold through the MVNOs who already sell that maker's products.

If the NAM carriers like it, and it seems that they will, as an alternative to the Big Two, other device makers will take it up as well.

As for the meager app market, how can it have one at all at this point?

I see it here as being the OS of choice for "free phones" on contract and inexpensive ones for the prepaid market.

[Hook]

I guess I still don't understand the appeal of Firefox OS. What's it's killer app, either in terms of unique features of its user interface, or unique services that it gives you access to?

I don't know if it appeals or not, but uniqueness is not FireFox's approach. When I tried Phoenix (FF's original name) version .02 (yes, the leading zero is correct) in 2005, I dropped IE 6 like a stone and never used it again. Not because Phoenix offered unique features, but because it just worked better than anything else. I haven't gone back to IE since (I'm forced to use IE at work).

If FF offers a smoothly operating powerful OS for low end phones, that may actually be enough of a niche, particularly outside the US.

I'm not claiming it is going to succeed and I have nothing vested in its doing so.

[Mi An]

The problem with that is, FireFox *hasn't* done it yet. Building an OS can be done by one company, but building a market is a lot harder. Being projected to reach 1% in a year doesn't mean much in terms of creating a viable platform.

Analyst Predicts Windows Phone Will Be No. 1 By 2013 - Today in Windows

Yup. Remember the long string of projections putting WP in a quick lead as people guesstimated the impact of Microkia? At this point, even the projections putting WP in the hunt so soon look a little silly. According to Pyramid, WP should have nearly 30% of global marketshare today, and their projection probably wasn't the most rosy one out there.

That said, I'm very much with Hook in spirit. I don't need no sticking reason to be annoyed with HP ;v) If you buy a name like Palm, you have to put up with some serious historically-based expectations and you can't stymie them with things like facts and reality.

[Mitlov]

Analyst Predicts Windows Phone Will Be No. 1 By 2013 - Today in Windows

Yup. Remember the long string of projections putting WP in a quick lead as people guesstimated the impact of Microkia? At this point, even the projections putting WP in the hunt so soon look a little silly. According to Pyramid, WP should have nearly 30% of global marketshare today, and their projection probably wasn't the most rosy one out there.

That said, I'm very much with Hook in spirit. I don't need no sticking reason to be annoyed with HP ;v) If you buy a name like Palm, you have to put up with some serious historically-based expectations and you can't stymie them with things like facts and reality.

There's still three months to go, you big naysayer