MTN launches first Firefox OS-based smartphone in Africa

Firefox has announced the extension of its OS to South Africa, in partnership with MTN. Mozilla’s web-based operating system is now available through MTN on the ALCATEL ONETOUCH FIRE E device.

According to MTN South Africa, it has become the first operator in Africa to release a Firefox OS-based smartphone. The device launched by the telecom operator is the Alcatel OneTouch Fire E smartphone, which will run the latest version of the Firefox operating system.

Larry Annetts, Chief Marketing Officer of MTN South Africa stated that: “Having a smartphone based on the Firefox operating system means we can deliver numerous unique product innovations. For example, the phone can be easily set up for four of the 11 official languages, namely English, Afrikaans, isiZulu and Xhosa. MTN will incorporate other languages in future versions of the phone. This means that our customers can choose the language they are most comfortable with and get a more naturally appealing connected experience.”

“We built Firefox OS as part of Mozilla’s mission to put the power of the Web in people’s hands”, Li Gong, President of Mozilla, says. “We are excited to see MTN launching the first Firefox OS devices in South Africa, enabling millions more people to access the mobile Web at an affordable cost.”


The Fire E seems to be a budget smartphone, which features a 4.5-inch 960×540 display, a dual-core 1.2Ghz processor, 512MBs of RAM and 4GBs with expandable storage, with 5MP rear camera and a VGA-quality front-facing camera.

South Africa is the first market in the African region where Firefox OS devices become available. As of today, Firefox OS has launched with local partners in 32 markets on five continents. Additional African market launches are anticipated this year, as announced at MWC.