Firefox OS Marketplace shown off in new pictures
updated 10:12 pm EDT, Mon September 3, 2012
Minimalist style with mostly free apps so far
The first mobile units running Mozilla's forthcoming Firefox OS aren't scheduled to debut until early next year, but images of the app marketplace for the mobile OS have leaked to the Internet. Engadget has acquired shots of the Firefox Marketplace, which is still in development; images that show a largely minimalist design that seems to show more focus on categorization and quick app discovery than do Apple or Google's app marketplace offerings. For now, the Marketplace appears to be largely populated by free apps, but that may change depending on how successful Mozilla and its partners are in gaining market share once their devices launch.
The Marketplace shown off in the leaked images appears on par -- functionality-wise, at least -- with offerings from Google and Apple. Users are able to browse apps by category, as well as to rate and review apps. The details section for apps will apparently have options to email the developer, report abuse, go to the app's homepage, and view its privacy policy.
This is the second leak of Firefox OS images in as many months. In July, images emerged showing off the lock screen, desktop, and notification system of Firefox OS. Mozilla's forthcoming operating system will debut on lower-end hardware, but it is said to run as fast as or faster than Google's Android OS due to its comparatively light processing load.
