Firefox OS seems like it’s had a number of different and distinct launch-type occurrences, but for what it’s worth this is the first time an official “reference device” has been made available. The Mozilla Flame, made through a partnership with T2Mobile and Mozilla, is now available for pre-order for $170 unlocked, complete with free global shipping.
The Flame is a mid-tier device which has a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, a 4.5-inch 854×480 pixel screen, a 5 megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front camera, 8GB of onboard storage and dual-SIM support. The big feature, however, might be the 256MB – 1GB adjustable RAM; this allows developers to set how much RAM is allowed the OS via software configuration, so that they can theoretically test against a range of devices from low- to mid-tier.
This Firefox OS phone is more ambitious in launch scope than previous devices, and it’s the first Mozilla seems confident to put its official stamp of approval on in terms of labeling it a standard which developers can use for reference, so that’s something, even if the Firefox OS project in general hasn’t lit any fires in the mobile device world yet. The smartphone is set to ship in about four weeks.