Firefox for Android comes to weaker devices in latest update
A big chunk of people are now able to use Firefox for Android as Mozilla has updated the browser to support ARMv6 hardware with at least 512MB of RAM. Such devices tend to exist on the entry-level range of the smartphone spectrum, so those with the Samsung Galaxy Ace and the HTC ChaCha will be able to get in on the smooth browsing experience it provides.
The app also includes hardware and software decoding for H.264, AAC and MP3 codecs for devices running Ice Cream Sandwich and later. It sucks to know that such a huge chunk of Android’s user-base, those on Android 2.3 and 2.2, in particular, won’t be getting such luxuries, but perhaps there’s some limitation that’s forcing Mozilla’s hand we don’t know about.
That’s all the more reason for companies to start upgrading their hardware to modern versions of Android instead of letting their devices sit on whatever it was shipped with. Most won’t care to upgrade the many Gingerbread phones still in circulation, unfortunately, as companies tend to focus on current and previous year devices when it comes to prioritizing major software upgrades. Regardless, if you don’t have Ice Cream Sandwich or higher then you won’t be getting in on the fun.
Other changes in this update include a fix for Android 4.2 stability issues and issues with text deletion. As usual, Firefox can be had in the Play Store as a free download for anyone who’s willing to give it a shot. It’s become a pretty great browser since its first release so if you haven’t checked it out in a while be sure to give it a spin and see if it trumps offerings like xScope, Chrome or the stock browser on your phone of choice.