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I use Firefox OS as main phone (ZTE Open C) since October, came with version 1.3. The biggest disappointment is lack of applications. So you can't get notifica

by gedrap 12y ago

I use Firefox OS as main phone (ZTE Open C) since October, came with version 1.3. The biggest disappointment is lack of applications. So you can't get notifications for Facebook messages, etc. But that's ok, given that the phone is in a very early stage and Facebook haven't built a proper app for it yet. There are some bugs which might be slightly annoying at first, but it's ok once you get used to it. The most frustrating one is the text prediction when using the keyboard, because it doesn't learn automatically and I am messaging in 2 languages... But I guess that can be counted as an edge case. The navigation (GPS) works surprisingly well though! Overall, it's worth giving a try especially given it's price. I am quite excited about it's future. The code is easy to read and should be relatively easy to add new features / modifications yourself. So even if it won't become popular in mainstream (and it's really hard to win user share in the current market), it can be an interesting platform for hacking. I wrote a bit more about it at http://blog.gedrap.me/blog/2014/10/19/a-month-of-using-firefox-os-as-the-main-phone/ http://blog.gedrap.me/blog/2014/10/19/a-month-of-using-firef...

lucb1e 12y ago
> it doesn't learn automatically and I am messaging in 2 languages I have the same on Cyanogenmod with the AOSP keyboard (Android's default). It doesn't do next word prediction nor does it seem to learn when I pick a suggestion (it doesn't prioritize it next time), and I'm constantly switching between Dutch and English. There are plenty of keyboard apps that do this better (even the stock Samsung one was great at this) but the keyboard is a core component that I want to be able to trust. I'm putting up with the annoyances and going for open source here. Not saying that this is the way to go for everyone, but it's not just Firefox OS which has this. > The navigation (GPS) works surprisingly well though! Navigation is not synonymous with GPS. Which works well, determining your location or routing to places? If the latter, I'm curious: which map source does it use, Google Maps?
- gedrap 12y ago
  > nor does it seem to learn when I pick a suggestion The most frustrating part about FirefoxOS is that if I choose not to autocorrect the word, it doesn't remember that and tries to do the same the next time I am typing it. Yes, I could add all the words manually... But that would take a long long time. > Navigation is not synonymous with GPS. Valid point :) both, it's fast to determine the current location when data is enabled, and routing is good too. It's using Here Maps https://www.here.com/ https://www.here.com/ I live in Vilnius (Lithuania) so there are not many (almost none) tall buildings, that probably helps.
- creshal 12y ago
  > There are plenty of keyboard apps that do this better On FirefoxOS you don't even have that on most phones, as third-party keyboard apps need FFOS 2.0, which even after half a year still isn't distributed to all existing phones. It's Android fragmentation all over again, but without backwards compatibility and with a much less capable base system.
- stefanix 12y ago
  You know you can enable multiple keyboard languages in Cyanogenmod, right.
darklajid 12y ago
I tend to jump on the FxOS threads pointing out how promising it is - and that you don't get push support (Facebook for you perhaps, mail is my pet peeve) so far as far as I can tell and the Mail client is lacking. I just tried to reply to a text that I got on my Flame (with a pre-paid SIM hosting a number I used for years) and failed, because the keyboard is really, really .. different. It works as a feature phone for me so far, mostly.
- rictic 12y ago
  Given that (opt-in) push support is in development for Firefox desktop I'd predict that it won't be too long before it's on Firefox OS as well. More info: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/ServiceWorker_API https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/ServiceWork...
ohjesusthatguy 12y ago
I just bought one of these myself, I'm expecting to receive it Tuesday. Your blog seems to confirm what I'm expecting out of the thing, and I think I made the right decision getting that instead of a Lumia 630. The biggest selling point to me was that I don't end up with Google, Apple, Microsoft following me around extracting as much information out of me as they can (of course, I'm failing this as soon as I go check my GApps mail). Two questions: 1) How good is the web browser? That's the only app I care about having on my phone. 2) Can you tether your computer to it?
jetm9 12y ago
i assume u want to share ur experience but pre-2.0 ffos should be banned from review. couldnt u upgrade to v2.X and re-review?

by gedrap 12y ago

lucb1e 12y ago

> it doesn't learn automatically and I am messaging in 2 languages I have the same on Cyanogenmod with the AOSP keyboard (Android's default). It doesn't do next word prediction nor does it seem to learn when I pick a suggestion (it doesn't prioritize it next time), and I'm constantly switching between Dutch and English. There are plenty of keyboard apps that do this better (even the stock Samsung one was great at this) but the keyboard is a core component that I want to be able to trust. I'm putting up with the annoyances and going for open source here. Not saying that this is the way to go for everyone, but it's not just Firefox OS which has this. > The navigation (GPS) works surprisingly well though! Navigation is not synonymous with GPS. Which works well, determining your location or routing to places? If the latter, I'm curious: which map source does it use, Google Maps?

gedrap 12y ago
> nor does it seem to learn when I pick a suggestion The most frustrating part about FirefoxOS is that if I choose not to autocorrect the word, it doesn't remember that and tries to do the same the next time I am typing it. Yes, I could add all the words manually... But that would take a long long time. > Navigation is not synonymous with GPS. Valid point :) both, it's fast to determine the current location when data is enabled, and routing is good too. It's using Here Maps https://www.here.com/ https://www.here.com/ I live in Vilnius (Lithuania) so there are not many (almost none) tall buildings, that probably helps.
creshal 12y ago
> There are plenty of keyboard apps that do this better On FirefoxOS you don't even have that on most phones, as third-party keyboard apps need FFOS 2.0, which even after half a year still isn't distributed to all existing phones. It's Android fragmentation all over again, but without backwards compatibility and with a much less capable base system.
stefanix 12y ago
You know you can enable multiple keyboard languages in Cyanogenmod, right.

darklajid 12y ago

I tend to jump on the FxOS threads pointing out how promising it is - and that you don't get push support (Facebook for you perhaps, mail is my pet peeve) so far as far as I can tell and the Mail client is lacking. I just tried to reply to a text that I got on my Flame (with a pre-paid SIM hosting a number I used for years) and failed, because the keyboard is really, really .. different. It works as a feature phone for me so far, mostly.

rictic 12y ago
Given that (opt-in) push support is in development for Firefox desktop I'd predict that it won't be too long before it's on Firefox OS as well. More info: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/ServiceWorker_API https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/ServiceWork...

ohjesusthatguy 12y ago

I just bought one of these myself, I'm expecting to receive it Tuesday. Your blog seems to confirm what I'm expecting out of the thing, and I think I made the right decision getting that instead of a Lumia 630. The biggest selling point to me was that I don't end up with Google, Apple, Microsoft following me around extracting as much information out of me as they can (of course, I'm failing this as soon as I go check my GApps mail). Two questions: 1) How good is the web browser? That's the only app I care about having on my phone. 2) Can you tether your computer to it?

jetm9 12y ago

i assume u want to share ur experience but pre-2.0 ffos should be banned from review. couldnt u upgrade to v2.X and re-review?