Mozilla’s $25 Smartphone: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

(Mozilla)

This might be the biggest story to come out of MWC 2014. Mozilla is launching a smartphone that will cost just $25. Here’s everything you need to know.

1. Yes, Mozilla Will Launch a $25 Smartphone

New Mozilla Partnership Promises to Deliver a $25 Smartphone http://t.co/p65MYmZ4LH #MWC14 pic.twitter.com/vzP35YfQ20

— Mashable (@mashable) February 24, 2014

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Mashable reports that the phone in question is the result of a partnership with Spreadtrum, a Chinese chip set manufacturer.

A press release from Firefox notes that this entry-level Spreadtrum phone is targeted towards first-time smartphone buyers. An excerpt of the press release is below:

“The combination of Firefox OS with Spreadtrum’s entry-level smartphone platforms has the potential to dramatically extend the reach of smartphones and the Web globally,” said Dr. Li Gong, Mozilla Senior Vice President of Mobile Devices and President of Asia Operations. “Firefox OS delivers a customized, fun and intuitive experience for first-time smartphone buyers and our collaboration with Spreadtrum enables the industry to offer customers an extremely affordable way to get a smartphone and connect with Web apps.”

2. $25 Phone Targets Emerging Markets

With Firefox OS, Mozilla begins the $25 smartphone push http://t.co/K0d8ANxyf3 via @CNET

— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) February 24, 2014

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Forbes notes that Mozilla’s phone is targeting people in developing markets, or people who could not normally afford the luxury of a smartphone.

3. ‘It’s Real, And It Works’

(Mozilla.org)

Running with the headline “It’s Real, And It Works,” CNET writes that the prototype of the $25 Mozilla phone is promising. Noting that “it’s slower to scroll and launch apps than the state-of-the-art phone,” CNET added that this cheap phone “really works. You can install apps, load Web pages, search your contacts, and send e-mail typed with an on-screen keyboard.”

4. $25 Smartphone Will Be Available Globally

Kantar Worldpanel on the $25 Mozilla phone: "Clumsy smartphone that's still primarily for voice and text." http://t.co/EoOv6KuIoJ

— Stefan Constantine (@WhatTheBit) February 24, 2014

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On their Firefox OS page, Mozilla notes that they work with “15 countries with 4 hardware partners” and 7 operators around the globe. The company is expected to grow their global presence even more in 2014.

5. Places You Can Get the $25 Mozilla Smartphone

The Firefox people are going to make a $25 dollar burner smartphone. http://t.co/RoB8vju2v5

— Gawker (@Gawker) February 23, 2014

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Mashable reports that you may not see the phones right away. They state:

“…there’s no hard date for when we’ll see this ultra-low-priced smartphone hit the market, but the Spreadtrum deal means we’ll likely begin seeing these handsets appear on the market in the very near future.”

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