Firefox OS-based ZTE One Coming To US, UK Through eBay

For developers, a key selling point for Firefox OS devices is their emphasis on HTML5 apps, which can be readily adapted from Web apps and run on a variety of mobile platforms. This means developers might be attracted to Firefox OS because they would not have to target one of the many flavors of Android or Apple's iOS and then port their apps to other platforms.

Can an open-source mobile platform optimized for HTML5 apps find a home in the Android- and iOS-dominated U.S. and U.K.? That question may be answered by the availability of the first Firefox OS smartphone in those countries.

The ZTE Open, using the mobile platform that is starting to appear on smartphones in emerging markets, will be available through eBay in the U.S. and U.K. The $79.99 device will be sold unlocked and off-contract, so that it could theoretically be used with any supporting carrier.