Mozilla today is announcing the next stage of its efforts to get Firefox OS hardware in the hands of developers building software for it: the so-called “second phase” of the Phones for Apps program offers devs the chance to get a Firefox OS device to keep, but this time around the focus isn’t on people who’ve built apps specifically for Firefox OS. Mozilla now wants to give developer Keon FIrefox OS handsets to those who want to port their existing titles.
In order to participate in the program, developers need only have already built and shipped an exiting HTML5 web application, and must provide Mozilla with a link to said app online, or in the Amazon Web App, BlackBerry WebWorks, Chrome Web Store, webOS or PhoneGap online stores. You can also use apps built with HTML5 submitted to native app stores like Apple’s or Google’s in a native wrapper.
The rules say that you should start working right now on porting your app, with the aim of delivering a completed port sometime in the next two months. Mozilla will be reviewing applications while devs are working on their ports, and say to expect communication only if you’re chose to participate.
So in the end you could be doing work without being guaranteed a developer device, but Firefox OS could be a key new market for web developers to exploit, depending on how it sells in developing markets, so it’s probably worth the effort anyway if you’re already working in web apps. And the possibility of a new gadget couldn’t hurt.