Mozilla gives up on Firefox OS, its mobile-turned IoT operating system

Released in 2013, Firefox OS was supposed to pick up where webOS left off, with a mobile operating system built on open web standards like HTML5.

Unlike Apple and Google who chased performance gains with both software and hardware updates, Firefox OS phones sat on the opposite spectrum and were designed primarily for emerging markets like India and Indonesia where devices could be sold for as low as $25. 

But after failing to gain much traction — turns out building super cheap phones isn't as easy as it sounds and web apps can't compare to native apps — Mozilla decided to pivot Firefox OS from powering phones and tablets to powering Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Read more...