A new phone that runs Firefox OS is launching in Japan on Christmas Day, and it’s a looker. The Fx0 phone has an unusual feature that makes it stand out next to iPhones and Android devices: The Fx0’s exterior casing is transparent. The see-through phone is the product of a partnership between Mozilla and Japanese telecom giant KDDI. It’s the first Firefox OS phone to include features now commonplace among smartphones, such as 4G LTE and NFC, the technology used for mobile payment transactions.
Firefox OS, Mozilla’s mobile operating system that runs Web-based apps, is headed to Japan. Mozilla, best known for its Firefox Web browser, has partnered with Japanese carrier KDDI to launch the Firefox OS-based Fx0 phone in Japan, the companies announced on Tuesday. The handset will go on sale on Thursday in Japan. Pricing was not announced. Mozilla launched Firefox OS in 2013 to provide a low-cost alternative to Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS. Including the Fx0, there are now 16 Firefox OS-based smartphones available in 29 countries around the world. A key component in Firefox OS is that it relies heavily on the Web to deliver the software experience to users. So far, Firefox OS has been designed for emerging markets and customers who would want a simple handset for a cheap price. The Fx0, however, is being pitched as the “first high-spec Firefox OS smartphone” by both Mozilla and KDDI.
