ZTE to unveil Mozilla Firefox phone at MWC

Chinese mobile vendor ZTE has hinted it will unveil a smartphone running the new Firefox operating system from Mozilla at Mobile World Congress in late February.

An emailed invitation for an event at the Barcelona show says that the firm will unveil two major new devices, and the hashtags it's using to generate interest ahead of the announcement drop some unsubtle clues.

"To whet your appetite - the hashtags for the announcements will be #ZTEGrandMemo, #ZTEMozilla."

The Grand Memo tag refers to a large 5.7in handset already shown off by the firm at some select events.

However, it's the reference to Mozilla that is most notable, as the first developer phones running the platform have only just been made available as the firm, which is better known for its popular Firefox browser.

Mozilla hopes to grab a slice of the ever-growing mobile operating system space, with its platform based on the burgeoning HTML5 technology.

Analysts have said Mozilla could find success with the platform in lower-end markets, although like all its rivals will face its toughest challenge from the behemoth that is Android.

The ZTE announcement is set for 25 February at the show, around 5pm UK time, and V3 will be at the event to bring all the information on the new devices as they're unveiled.

The Firefox OS also represents another challenger for Research in Motion (RIM) with its BlackBerry 10 operating system set to be unveiled later on Wednesday in what's seen as a make or break announcement for the firm.