Firefox not coming to iPhone, Android

If you're an iPhone or even an Android-phone owner hoping to get in on some of that Firefox Mobile Alpha lovin', I've got some bad news: it's unlikely to transition to those platforms any time soon.

In an interview with SiliconRepublic.com, Mozilla's director of mobile engineering Christian Sejersen has stated that development for the iPhone is certainly not going to happen due to two restrictions Apple places on developers: firstly, that you can't write an application which duplicates built-in functionality as Firefox Mobile would for Safari; and secondly that you cannot run background processes on an iPhone.

While the iPhone ban is fairly unsurprising, the news that Android isn't on the to-do list is certainly unexpected: according to Sejersen, the company is doing nothing for Android “now or in the near future.” Without the restrictions Apple places on developers, it's hard to see why Mozilla isn't developing for the Android platform – although it's likely that the company is simply waiting for more than one device running the platform to hit the market and sell successfully before committing itself to development work.

So, what are we going to see Firefox Mobile on? According to Sejersen, the plan is to produce a Linux native version for the Nokia Internet Tablet platform – much-loved by hackers for its openness – followed by a version for both touch- and non-touch-screen Windows Mobile devices. A Symbian port has yet to be officially announced, but Sejersen has said it is “most likely” to follow the Windows Mobile versions.

Disappointed that your HTC Dream or iPhone isn't going to be getting any Firefox joy, or are you – like me – just salivating at the thought of a Symbian port eventually hitting the 'net? Share your thoughts over in the forums.