Firefox OS Smartphone ZTE Open Coming to U.S. for $79.99 Unlocked

The ZTE Open, one of the first Firefox OS handsets, is on its way to the U.S. and U.K. through ZTE’s eBay store. As we’ve written previously, the Open is a little underpowered compared to high-end smartphones, but that’s not really the point. It’s aimed at emerging markets and it only costs $79.99 — and that’s unlocked.

For less than $80, you can get a smartphone. Sure, it’s not the best smartphone, but the Firefox OS platform looks interesting. It’s heavily based around HTML5, so it really doesn’t need to be that powerful. If you’re super into open-source platforms, love Firefox, or just want a bright orange phone — did we mention it’s bright orange? — then the Open might be worth checking out.

An $80 unlocked phone also sounds pretty appealing if you’ve recently dropped your high-end smartphone in the toilet and are a few months away from an upgrade. You know — hypothetically speaking.

(via The Next Web, image via ZTE)

Meanwhile in related links

• Here is some more info on the Open’s specs
• The Firefox OS developer phones sold out real quick
• Firefox for iOS could be gone for good