Mobile Firefox Releases Another Pre-Alpha Version

Firefox’s mobile browser, Fennec, has hit another milestone, including updates to the visual theme. Currently it only supports Nokia 800 and 810 devices. If you have one, you can install Fennec. Don’t expect a polished product. Remember this isn’t yet an alpha version. The thing doesn’t even let you close tabs yet. But it’s come […]

Fennec screenshot

Firefox's mobile browser, Fennec, has hit another milestone, including updates to the visual theme. Currently it only supports Nokia 800 and 810 devices. If you have one, you can install Fennec.

Don't expect a polished product. Remember this isn't yet an alpha version. The thing doesn't even let you close tabs yet. But it's come a long way since its first release in the spring.

According to the development timeline, the alpha was due in early September. This release, M8, was apparently not planned. Developers don't want to release an alpha unless it meets performance requirements.

The recent release saw the disabling of plugins, including Flash, but only temporarily, because of stability issues. Luckily, the project just added "several Mozilla QA team members," according to platform evangelist Mark Finkle.

There are still four features, including the download manager and scrolling/panning performance, on the requirements list before we see an alpha. Maybe that gives me some time to find a Nokia N800/N810. If you have one and want to check it out, let us know how it goes.