Download Firefox Mobile for Smartphones

Want to download Firefox Mobile for smartphones? It is not available for just any smartphone yet, as it is still in some of the first stages of development as of mid-2009. However, you can try it on your desktop for a taste of what's to come even if you don't have the ideal equipment for the program.

About Firefox and Firefox Mobile

Mozilla's Firefox is a smart, customizable Web browser with features like one-click bookmarking, full zoom, and even a location bar that helps you remember that URL you went to once but can no longer remember the name of. They call it "the awesome bar." You can also initiate Google searches through this bar without having first to open the Google webpage.

Firefox Mobile is otherwise known as "Fennec" and the very first alpha version was released in December 2008. The download is currently only available for the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet and for the HTC Touch Pro (Windows Mobile). Fennec was more widely released in February 2009. There will be other platforms released in the future, so even if you don't have a compatible smartphone now, chances are good that you will have a Firefox match soon.

Rumor has it that there will be a Firefox Mobile version for phones with touch screens and another version for those without. Many of the versions will download differently, however. For a demonstration, visit the Fennec Releases page to compare how both the Windows Mobile version and Nokia versions load.

Behind the New Name

Why not simply call it Firefox Mobile rather than something like Fennec? For those who aren't familiar, a fennec is a small fox. Similarly, Fennec is a small version of Firefox.

To Download Firefox Mobile for Smartphones

You can download Firefox Mobile for smartphones (Fennec) at Mozilla.org. Right now it is only available here for the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet running OS2008, but if you don't have that, you can still check it out on your desktop. You can get it free for Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux. You may also use the Fennec Release page listed above for either the Nokia version or the HTC Touch Pro.

Keep in mind that there are still some bugs that need to be worked out with the download. For example, you won't be able to sort your bookmarks into folders, nor will plug-ins work. Some sites will even be almost impossible to get any information or entertainment from. Since Fennec is a very new program (still in alpha stage at the time this article was written), these issues are to be expected, but should also be resolved relatively quickly. Mozilla is aware of them.

What You Get

In this newest version of Fennec (the Mozilla site refers to it as Alpha 2), you'll get:

• Security features like Web site IDs, the option to clear private information, a password manager, and a pop-up blocker
• Simple navigation with the smart URL bar, tabbed browsing, bookmarks, and searching ease. You also get quick panning and zooming along with responsiveness even while a page is loading.
• Zooming (in and out) and the ability to hide unnecessary items on the page to better view all of the content on the screen.

This version builds on the touch screen capabilities of the phones, allowing you to scroll through a page and tap to "click" as you would with a mouse. If you only have the first Alpha version, you may want to download Firefox Mobile for smartphones today to get the newer version.

A Final Word

Though Firefox Mobile, or Fennec, is a new development, it is rapidly getting better and better and will be branching out to other smartphones besides the Nokia and HTC models soon. For now, it will be fun to experiment with the program on your computer. You can learn how to use it while you're waiting on your particular smartphone's version to be released.

If you want monthly updates on Firefox Mobile or if you want to give your feedback, you can check the Mozilla Mobile page. There, you can sign up for a newsletter and find out more about weekly meetings.

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