LG Fireweb Firefox smartphone revealed, you probably can’t have one

LG has officially revealed the Fireweb, its first smartphone running the Firefox mobile operating system. The 4in handset is a marked improvement over the initial run of Firefox phones, but unless you live in South America you’re unlikely to be able to buy one any time soon.

With a 4in, 480×320 resolution display, 1GHz Qualcomm processor and 4GB of internal storage, the Fireweb might not set pulses racing but it’s a real step up from the ZTE Open. The 5-megapixel rear camera is another welcome improvement, adding autofocus and an LED flash to a Firefox OS phone for the first time.

LG is naturally pricing the Fireweb a little higher than its competitors to reflect this. The limited rollout starts today in Brazil, where pay-as-you-go customers on the Vivo Brazil network can pick one up for $449 BRL (£130). Contract customers will have to pay $129 BRL (£35) up front, making it more expensive than the Android-powered Optimus L3 II.

“We’re happy to see Firefox OS gain momentum with partners launching new devices in new markets and developers around the world being inspired to innovate,” Jay Sullivan, COO of Mozilla, said of the launch.

“Our partnership with Telefónica Vivo demonstrates the rich, new experiences offered on Firefox OS by combining the best global and local content with LG’s elegant new device experience”.

Beyond Mexico, LG has plans to introduce the phone to Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, but there’s currently no word on a European release.