The mobile version of the Firefox browser, Fennec, is now officially in beta. It works only on the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, but developers can also download it onto their computers. The Fennec browser is designed to make maximum use of the limited screen space available on mobile phones and tries to do everything possible to minimize typing.
It incorporates the Firefox “awesome bar,” which acts as both navigation and search bar. Start typing in a URL or search term and it auto-suggests web pages based on your past Web surfing habits. Various searches, including Google, Yahoo Answers, and Wikipedia, are one click away via links at the bottom. The browser also remembers all your passwords, just like Firefox. It supports Flash. And add-ons can be created for the mobile browser.
The user interface takes some zooming and panning concepts which were previously previewed by Mozilla Labs. Each Web page expands to fill the entire screen, but moving the page to the side reveals different controls, including bookmarks, back and forward buttons, tabs, and different tools.
We’ve seen what competition has done for browsers on the PC. Today, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and IE are all trying to leapfrog one another (well, at least the first three are). Efforts like Fennec, mobile Safari for the iPhone, the Android Web browser, Opera Mini, Skyfire, and others are injecting the same healthy competition into mobile browsers. I can’t wait to be able to try out Fennec on my mobile phone (if Apple or Google let me).
Below is a video demo by Madhava Enros, who is in charge of designing the interface for Fennec.
Fennec Beta 1 walkthrough from Madhava Enros on Vimeo.
I believe it means “rabbit” in Maltese…
Well, also check out the Fennec Fox (http://tinyurl....fennec-fox-wiki).
Fennec Fox is a playoff of the exisiting firefox application. Fennec Fox are native to the us and live in deserts and as such are smaller than one would suspect. Hence, the broswer is a smaller version of firefox. That’s the paradigm for the name.
You’re right with the general idea, but the the Fennec fox is actually native to the deserts of North Africa (Sahara) and Arabia. Fennec is in fact an Arabic word derived from the Persian words fanak, or fanaj.
To paraphrase Erick Schonfield’s earlier post:
Is this better than Opera? Faster than Safari or Google’s mobile browser?
As long as they all get better … I don’t care.
Three cheers for more good, healthy competition.
Anjali Sen
Nice post! Check out my site too at http://macmaniapodcast.com.
hey look its that guy with the shitty podcast site again
true dat!!!
He sounds kinda like sheldon on the big bang theory. The browser looks cool though.
i thought the same thing!!
wow, did they copy from tripwolf.com? or tripwolf.com from them?
Hopefully apple lets fennec and others on board – probably not for a while though…
cool
When will it be available for other mobile platforms?
Would like to see the Firefox Mobile on Android and on my G1.
Very nice!
been using this browser now, and its by far best mobile browser ever.
The best? Better than Safari on the iPhone? Surely not. Far too slow compared to Safari.
On a Nokia N810 or another device ?
It looks interesting… a worthy competitor to Opera Mobile 9.5 which I’ve used fairly extensively on the HTC Touch (A.K.A. Vogue)
If its anything like the regular Firefox browser, i’m looking forward to it.
One word:
Slow.
isnt Aza Raskin a big player with Fennec too? the guy is awesome with ui.
It’s a good start. That is how software development works. One step/version at a time.
MTG
Doubt that this will appear on the iPhone for a while!
When they make a smartphone big enough for me to be able to navigate the touch screen I would love to have a mobile version of FireFox on it. Until then this is just not too exciting for me. Phones are too small to work with anymore.
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Fennec foxes are not only energetic, but they have huge ears and excellent hearing–so presumably your phone will also hear the internet well.
Can’t wait to see what they roll out. I love firefox.
Nice stuff. i ‘d love to launch .
FireFox has an awesome mobile browser on its hands. I would have bought the nokia just to use the browser!
When you finish with that device what about making it for nokia n series, e series, and iphones?
that would be awsome
guess I m too late for the comment but anyways I m now going to get a Nokia communicator
It should be interesting to see what this browser can do. I have been a fan of Firefox for awhile. When designing websites I always look at how their browser renders the page. I have only recently started getting into mobile development. I find it challenging to present the information in a consistent, relevant manor.