Mozilla: No Mobile Firefox Browser

Just days after we highlighted Mozilla's Firefox Home app comes news that might be distressing for some readers. The company has decided not to produce a mobile version of its popular Firefox browser for the iPhone/iPod touch. In a blog post on the company's website, Mozilla said:

We are working to bring as much of your Firefox experience as possible to Firefox Home. People have asked about adding more browser-like features to Firefox Home, but there are technical and logistical restrictions that make it difficult, if not impossible, to build the full Firefox browser for the iPhone. We are focused on building Firefox Home as a rich, cloud-based application and making it a valuable product that people will continue to love and use.

Although not specifically mentioned, an iPad version of the popular Firefox web browser is also likely on the cutting room floor as well. Firefox Home syncs a user's browsing history, bookmarks and open tabs across multiple devices. It works brilliantly. Unfortunately, it relies exclusively on a user's browsing history on their Mac or PC. In fact, it doesn't work at all until a first "sync" is performed on the user's computer. By deciding not to release a mobile version of its Firefox browser, Mozilla will forgo the potential market share that such a move would produce. Additionally, in my opinion, it shows that the company is more concerned with its place in a maturing PC market, and missing out on the ever growing mobile market. What do our readers think? Did Mozilla make a bad decision in deciding not to release a mobile version of its Firefox browser? Let us know using the comments below.

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