Firefox Mobile concept flaunted in Mozilla video

Firefox Mobile Concept Video from Aza Raskin on Vimeo.

Update 10:20 a.m. PDT: This was updated to clarify the point about mobile browser alternatives.

The buzz about Firefox these days might be focused on the impending Firefox 3, but the folks at Mozilla are already thinking beyond that browser--and beyond the PC. A blog post on Wednesday from Mozilla Labs' head of user experience, Aza Raskin, shows off a video of a conceptual Firefox Mobile.

Designed for touch-screen interfaces--not multitouch, like the iPhone--the mobile Firefox browser opens up to reveal a bookmarks list and a "plus" button to open a new window. The browser controls are located to the left of the window and are accessible by panning horizontally.

Firefox competes reasonably well with Microsoft's dominant Internet Explorer on PCs, but the battle lines are only now being drawn in the mobile device browser war. One notable power is the open-source Webkit browser engine, used in the iPhone's Safari browser and Google's forthcoming Android software.

A firefox: 'I'm the cutest thing ever, and I'm coming to your cell phone!'

(Credit: Caroline McCarthy)

"We're driven by demand," Mike Schroepfer, Mozilla's vice president of engineering, said in a May interview when asked if he was interested in bringing Firefox to Android. "We've been concentrating on other platforms that don't have (a) browser or didn't have a good one."

The mobile Firefox is code-named "Fennec" after a small species of fox with unusually large ears. Ironically, the animal sometimes referred to as a "firefox," better known as a red panda, is more closely related to skunks and raccoons.

CNET News.com's Stephen Shankland contributed to this report.

[coryschulz]

Being an owner of an iPhone, I'm not very impressed with this and don't care much for the design they have going here. I think it would be a little troublesome in some instances. Safari is pretty sweet.

[sanjayb]

So now that Apple is allowing apps for the iPhone, it makes me wonder if a version of Firefox will be developed for the iPhone and would Apple allow it? If so, can be set to be your default browser too?

[samkass]

This paragraph:

"Firefox is already a leading alternative to Microsoft on mobile platforms; the iPhone's Safari browser is powered by the open-source Webkit browser engine, and Google has chosen the same foundation for its Android software."

...makes it sound as if WebKit and Firefox are somehow related. In fact, the Webkit engine and Opera's browsers, I would say, are the "leading alternative to Microsoft on mobile platforms". I'm not sure Firefox and its Gecko engine are leading anything in that field.

[Ilgaz]

If you write a story about mobile browsers, get your facts straight. The king of Mobile Browser scene is Opera. People even _pay_ for it. Opera Mini is at hundred million mark now.

[johnsin]

Sure, its not exactly up to par with the Iphone.. But jesh, if anything was we would be talking abot it right now. I am just tired of waiting for a company to take what we have learned Apple and apply it to its own technology to the best of their ability.. Instead of releasing the same old stuff over and ove again.

[julian_sun]

I think the idea is pretty cool. A couple of questions and suggestions:

* How would handle pages that is too wide?
* Any page re-formating considered to fit into small screens?
* There is a trend to move to use browser for almost all UI need on phone. There are quite a few implications for this. For example, easy to click on the link with enumeric buttons.

J.

[julian_sun]

I think the idea is pretty cool. A couple of questions and suggestions:

* How would handle pages that is too wide?
* Any page re-formating considered to fit into small screens?
* There is a trend to move to use browser for almost all UI need on phone. There are quite a few implications for this. For example, easy to click on the link with enumeric buttons.

J.

[frasbyte]

now firstly the best browser out there is skyfire...but then again not all of you have had the esteemed privilege of using that piece of software. But lemme tell you...it handles any website like a pro...i mean msnbc, igoogle, youtube, espn...imeem...facebook, myspace...you name it and skyfire will punch it out and all embedded content.
as for firefox mobile i am looking forward to it...just as i'm looking forward to opera mobile 9.5...i already have the beta and skyfire (also a beta) out performs the rest 150%. let's just see if firefox mobile has the common sense to ensure their browser is capable of playing embedded flash, java and activeX content...otherwise they're wasting their time.