Will Firefox OS Find A Home Amongst iOS and Android?

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As of today, Mozilla Corporation's Firefox operating system (Firefox OS) went on sale in Spain with a very select choice of handsets. One of the handsets, the ZTE Open, is priced at 69 Euros.

A recent Forbes' article explains that the existing operating systems such as Android and iOS are simply too bulky to be installed on lower-end smartphones. In other words, the hardware of cheaper phones can't run Android and iOS without sacrificing usability (sluggishness, etc). This creates a void in the market to sell smartphones to consumers, who might not be able to afford the hardware required to run an Android or iOS operating system.

So far the reviews are mixed. Here's a few recent tweets on the topic:

I think #FirefoxOS (smartphone op-system from @Firefox) may be great. Hope it can multitask better than the browser. http://t.co/b40yrqRvNu

— —Keith Hale— (@thoughtstorms) July 2, 2013

@firefox I'm glad to see Firefox OS opening up to a whole lot of users today. I've been working hard some apps I think they'll like.

— Duncan Dean (@duncangdean) July 1, 2013

It seems at the moment there are a few folks with mixed feelings.

I dont see a problem with starting Firefox OS with budget phones but brand is important in order for people to adopt.

— Shawn (@LivesInThought) July 1, 2013

Firefox OS Phone? I don't like the sound of that.

— Bill Driver (@billdriver) July 2, 2013

The more people seem to use it the more they seem to like it, which is definitely a big plus for Mozilla. You will also notice one of the tweets above is from a developer, so there are currently people out there producing apps intended for the device. Not a bad start for a phone that costs 69 Euro.