Just days after it
announced plans of developing Firefox OS based mobile phones with Telefonica, Sony has
released an experimental ROM for its Xperia E Android smartphone. The ROM can be installed by developers and enthusiasts, and Sony wants to gauge the progress made by the Firefox OS, get feedback from developers, and reach out to the them so that they can start developing applications for the OS.
Sony has made available details about the Firefox OS and the procedure to flash the experimental ROM on the Xperia E on one of its developer pages. To install the OS, developers need to unlock the boot loader of the phone and flash the ROM using a tool available on Sony's Developer World website. They can switch back to Android using the same tool.
It's worth pointing out that the experimental ROM doesn't support radio connectivity available, so you won't be able to make calls with the phone or connect via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth after flashing the ROM. Due to that this software has not passed certification and type approval. Touch sensitivity is also not fully calibrated which means that the phone might not respond well to touch actions. Sony also warns that the functionality of the SD card in the phone might be unstable. So, use this at your own risk. Sony has also uploaded a video demonstrating the OS on the device.
The page also lists other details related to the Firefox OS and information on app development.
Sony had inked a multi-user agreement with Telefonica under which the two plan to collaborate and explore the development of a handset running Mozilla's Firefox OS open-source mobile platform. The same was disclosed by Sony in an official press release during the Mobile World Congress.
Other OEMs which have announced plans to make Firefox OS handsets include Alcatel and ZTE. CNET had also spotted Firefox OS phones from LG and Huawei at the MWC.