Foxconn Teams Up With Mozilla For New Mobile Devices, A Handheld And A Tablet

Foxconn (HKG:2038) and Mozilla, which produces a free Internet browser, will unveil on June 3 two mobile devices that run on a Firefox operating system: a tablet and a handheld device, according to Guangming News, a Chinese news website.

Foxconn has taken steps in recent months to be increasingly independent from Apple Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL), for which it manufactures iPhones, and it's building its own brand of consumer electronics for that purpose. The Taiwan-based manufacturer purchased a stake in Japanese electronics manufacturer Sharp Corp. (TYO:6753) last year to gain access to and advance Sharp’s leading LCD technology.

Foxconn will become Mozilla’s 19th partner worldwide. Mozilla is a nonprofit organization that's best known for its popular Firefox browser, but it has lacked a presence in the mobile market.

By partnering with Foxconn, Mozilla hopes to get into the mobile market in developing countries. Mainland China and Brazil will be the first target markets for the new Foxconn and Firefox mobile device, according to Guangming News.