Personally, Firefox is my favorite browser and Chrome is a only a second choice. I’ve always used Firefox on Windows right from Firefox 3, it has been my default browser since and I’m not sure I’ll be changing to something different any time soon. It’s a browser that’s easy to fall in love with if you really get to know it. I ditched if for a while and switched to Chrome but something made me go back: better tab management.
I’ve used Firefox for Android and I really wished there was an iOS version. Well, there isn’t and with the look of things, it’s not gonna be a reality for a long while.
The Question is Why isn’t an iOS Version of Firefox?
Well, the problem isn’t with Mozilla, the fault is Apple’s. If you’re gonna create a browser for the App Store, Apple has some rules that Mozilla isn’t ready to play by.
Basically, any other alternative browser on iOS is described as another version of Safari with a different skin and a number of features. This means that these browsers still use Safari’s web engine and they only look different. The problem here is that Apple restricts these browsers from utilizing the API’s needed for a browser to be as fast as Safari.
The Nitro engine is one of them and this is only restricted Safari, iBooks and other Apple apps. This is why even by default, Safari is almost 5 times faster than chrome in rendering pages that heavily rely on JavaScripts.
Mozilla has categorically stated that it’s not playing by Apple’s rules.
Is there any hope?
Even if a iOS version of Firefox is created, it won’t be able to use the Gecko engine Firefox uses. There may be Firefox for iOS in the future but about two years ago, Mozilla was working on something similar called Junior Browser but we haven’t heard much since.
My Opinion?
Maybe the team over there at Mozilla just need get over it and get on with it. I mean, even if they’re creating a Safari browser in a different skin and call it Firefox for iOS, at least I can still access the Sync service I rely so much on PC.
It’s gonna be a relief to iOS users who can’t continue their browsing session on mobile from where they left off on their Windows PC. Apple’s restriction or not, we would love to see an iOS version of Firefox. Google did it, I see no reason why Mozilla shouldn’t.