Fennec (browser)
Encyclopedia
Firefox for mobile is the name of the build of the Mozilla Firefox web browser
for devices such as mobile phone
s and personal digital assistant
s (PDAs).
Firefox for mobile versions use the same Gecko
layout engine
as their Firefox counterparts. For example, version 1.0 used the same engine as Firefox 3.6, and the next release, 4.0, shared core code with Firefox 4.0. Its features include tabbed browsing, password manager
, location-aware browsing
, and the ability to synchronize with the user's computer Firefox browser using Firefox Sync.
The user interface is completely redesigned for small screen optimization, the controls are hidden away so that only the web content is shown on screen and it uses touchscreen
interaction methods in place of dragging actions with a mouse
.
. As of September 2011, Flash support has implemented in pre-release builds for pre-Honeycomb versions of Android.
Release dates:
Maemo device, though version 7 will be the last release for Maemo on the N900. An alpha of version 1.1 for Windows Mobile
is also available. Following the Windows Phone 7
announcement and Microsoft's decision not to release a native development kit
, development for Windows Mobile was put on hold. If Microsoft releases a native development kit in the future for its Windows Phone 7 OS, then Mozilla will consider developing Fennec on the Windows Phone platform again.
Mozilla has no plans to develop Firefox for Palm's WebOS, although an unofficial port to WebOS has begun. An unofficial port is also available for the OpenPandora Handheld.
Tristan Nitot
, president of Mozilla Europe
, has said that it's unlikely that an iPhone
or a BlackBerry
version will be released, citing Apple's non-compete application approval policies and BlackBerry's limited operating system as the reasons. There are no plans to develop Firefox for the Symbian platform.
While desktop versions are not supported, versions for Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
and Linux
are available; these versions are intended as a way to give people who do not have a supported operating system the ability to localize, experiment and build add-ons.
Web browser
A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a Uniform Resource Identifier and may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content...
for devices such as mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s and personal digital assistant
Personal digital assistant
A personal digital assistant , also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet...
s (PDAs).
Firefox for mobile versions use the same Gecko
Gecko (layout engine)
Gecko is a free and open source layout engine used in many applications developed by Mozilla Foundation and the Mozilla Corporation , as well as in many other open source software projects....
layout engine
Layout engine
A web browser engine, , is a software component that takes marked up content and formatting information and displays the formatted content on the screen. It "paints" on the content area of a window, which is displayed on a monitor or a printer...
as their Firefox counterparts. For example, version 1.0 used the same engine as Firefox 3.6, and the next release, 4.0, shared core code with Firefox 4.0. Its features include tabbed browsing, password manager
Password manager
A password manager is software that helps a user organize passwords and PIN codes. The software typically has a local database or a file that holds the encrypted password data for secure logon onto computers, networks, web sites and application data files. Many password managers also work as a form...
, location-aware browsing
Geolocation
Geolocation is the identification of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a radar, mobile phone or an Internet-connected computer terminal...
, and the ability to synchronize with the user's computer Firefox browser using Firefox Sync.
The user interface is completely redesigned for small screen optimization, the controls are hidden away so that only the web content is shown on screen and it uses touchscreen
Touchscreen
A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touching the display of the device with a finger or hand. Touchscreens can also sense other passive objects, such as a stylus...
interaction methods in place of dragging actions with a mouse
Mouse (computing)
In computing, a mouse is a pointing device that functions by detecting two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the user's hands, with one or more buttons...
.
History
Plugin support was initially disabled by default, removing compatibility with popular web content types such as Adobe FlashAdobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
. As of September 2011, Flash support has implemented in pre-release builds for pre-Honeycomb versions of Android.
Release dates:
- Version 4: March 29, 2011.
- Version 5: June 21, 2011.
- Version 6: August 16, 2011.
- Version 6.0.1: August 30, 2011.
- Version 6.0.2: September 6, 2011.
Name
The codename used for Firefox for mobile is Fennec. It comes from the Fennec Fox, a small desert fox (just as the Fennec Browser is a small version of Firefox browser). Firefox for Maemo Beta 5, released in 2009, was the first release to have official Firefox branding, with Firefox name and logo. The browser's version numbering was bumped from version 2.0 to version 4.0 to more closely match desktop releases of Firefox since the rendering engines used in both browsers are the same.Platforms
It is currently available for Android 2.1 and above devices with an ARMv7 CPU and the Nokia N900Nokia N900
The Nokia N900 is a smartphone made by Nokia. It supersedes the Nokia N810. Its default operating system, Maemo 5, is a Linux-based OS originally developed for the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. It is the first Nokia device based upon the Texas Instruments OMAP3 microprocessor with the ARM Cortex-A8...
Maemo device, though version 7 will be the last release for Maemo on the N900. An alpha of version 1.1 for Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
is also available. Following the Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform, although incompatible with it. Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market...
announcement and Microsoft's decision not to release a native development kit
Native development kit
A native development kit is a software development kit based on a native application programming interface which allows computer software to be developed directly on a computing platform, rather than via a virtual machine....
, development for Windows Mobile was put on hold. If Microsoft releases a native development kit in the future for its Windows Phone 7 OS, then Mozilla will consider developing Fennec on the Windows Phone platform again.
Mozilla has no plans to develop Firefox for Palm's WebOS, although an unofficial port to WebOS has begun. An unofficial port is also available for the OpenPandora Handheld.
Tristan Nitot
Tristan Nitot
Tristan Nitot is the president of Mozilla Europe.-Studies:Tristan Nitot is a graduate of the École Supérieure d’Informatique de Paris in Paris, also known as ESI...
, president of Mozilla Europe
Mozilla Europe
Mozilla Europe is a non-profit organisation that promotes and deploys Mozilla products, like Firefox and Thunderbird, in Europe. It was founded on 17 February 2004 by contributors to Mozilla and other free software projects, and is an independent affiliate of the Mozilla Foundation with...
, has said that it's unlikely that an iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
or a BlackBerry
BlackBerry
BlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
version will be released, citing Apple's non-compete application approval policies and BlackBerry's limited operating system as the reasons. There are no plans to develop Firefox for the Symbian platform.
While desktop versions are not supported, versions for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
are available; these versions are intended as a way to give people who do not have a supported operating system the ability to localize, experiment and build add-ons.
See also
- Mobile browser
- MinimoMinimoMinimo was a project to create a version of the Mozilla web browser for small devices like PDAs and mobile phones.The project aimed to make it easier for developers to embed parts of Mozilla into systems with limited system resources...
, a previous project to create a mobile Mozilla browser. - MicroBMicroBMicroB is a mobile web browser developed by Nokia for use in smartphones and mobile devices that run the Maemo operating system. The browser is Mozilla-based and uses the Gecko layout engine....
, a Mozilla-based mobile browser for NokiaNokiaNokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational communications corporation that is headquartered in Keilaniemi, Espoo, a city neighbouring Finland's capital Helsinki...
MaemoMaemoMaemo is a software platform developed by the Maemo community for smartphones and Internet tablets. It is based on the Debian Linux distribution, but has no relation to it...
. - Opera MobileOpera MobileOpera Mobile is a web browser for smartphones and PDA's developed by the Opera Software company. The first version was released in 2000 for the Psion Series 7 and netBook. Today, it is available for a variety of devices that run on Android, S60, Windows Mobile, Maemo , and MeeGo...
- Opera MiniOpera MiniOpera Mini is a web browser designed primarily for mobile phones, smartphones and personal digital assistants. Until version 4 it used the Java ME platform, requiring the mobile device to run Java ME applications. From version 5 it is also available as a native application for Android, iOS, Symbian...