Mozilla may have abandoned its efforts to bring Firefox OS to smartphones, but the Web-centric operating system might still make its way to pretty much every other kind of consumer electronic out there. That’s not even an exaggeration, as some leaked documents that Hipertextual claims to have gotten its hands on suggest we’ll be seeing Firefox OS-powered computers, routers, tablets, and even a Raspberry Pi-equipped keyboard. This is a smart move on Mozilla’s part, because few people are willing to ditch Android or iOS for Firefox OS, but plenty of them might find the aforementioned devices enticing, or at least interesting.
Although Mozilla is walking away from Firefox OS on smartphones, the browser-based platform isn’t dead yet. Citing leaked internal documents, a report by Hipertextual (via SlashGear) claims that Firefox OS is headed to tablets, routers, HDMI sticks, and keyboard-based all-in-one PCs. Arguably the most interesting of these plans is the “Firefox Pi,” a keyboard with a Raspberry Pi mini-PC inside, running Firefox for web access. The alleged documents note that the keyboard could plug into spare TVs (including old analog sets) and monitors, and aims to somehow “Harness the maker movement.” Mozilla may have plans for a Firefox-powered router as well, dubbed “Firefox Hub.” The device would have built-in privacy and parental controls, automatic updates, web server hosting, and a web-based controller for smart home devices. It sounds fairly similar to Google’s OnHub routers, which are built atop Chromium OS. The documents also call for a browser-based “Firefox Pad” tablet, aimed at “late adopters and the elderly” with a focus on simplicity and privacy, and a “Firefox Stick” that would basically be a plug-in HDMI version of Mozilla’s Firefox OS for televisions.
