Mozilla has announced in a blog post that the first public preview of Firefox's iOS-compatible version before the public launch, is now available only in New Zealand. This testing will help the company to collect feedback and add features. The forthcoming app will give owners of Apple iPhones and iPads more alternatives when choosing a mobile device browser.
In the post the company revealed that it will first collect feedback from New Zealand. Next, Mozilla plans to get questions and comments in a few more nations. It will then add new features and implement a full public launch of Firefox on iOS, according to Venture Beat.
Following the public launch, Mozilla Firefox will be available in other countries. It will also be added to the Apple App Store.
For now only Kiwis can test the iOS version. Features include Intelligent Search that suggests search results from particular sites; and Firefox Accounts to sync data from a PC to iOS devices, including browser history and passwords. The Firefox for iOS version also includes a new feature called Visual Tables, which allows users to manage open browser tabs.
Residents in other countries can receive information about when the browser will be available there. They must sign up for a notification, according to Engadget.
Mozilla Corporation is a subsidiary of Mozilla Foundation, which develops Internet applications including its Firefox web browser. The free-software community was launched by Netscape members in 1998.
In 2013 Mozilla earned $314M in revenue, 90 percent of which originated from Google. Last year Mozilla also inked a 5-year deal with Yahoo.