Geeksphones are developer preview devices produced by Madrid-based Geeksphone in conjuction with Telefonica and Mozilla. Early access to hardware allows developers to test the capabilities of Firefox OS in a real environment with a mobile network and true hardware characteristics like the accelerometer and camera that are not easily tested on the Firefox OS Simulator. This FAQ should answer any questions you have about them.
Pre-purchase questions
Answers to questions you may have about the Geeksphone devices before buying.
Who is the audience for the Geeksphones?
Developers are the primary audience for the Geeksphones. These are not production devices; they're intended for testing and experimentation only.
How do I get a Geeksphone device? How much do they cost?
You can buy one directly from the Geeksphone online store, but read the warning first.
Warning: Be aware that Geeksphone work on Firefox OS has ended (Geeksphone Revolution IS NOT officially supported by Mozilla, and it's boot.img is signed by the manufacturer), so you won't be able to update the latest device to the newest Firefox OS versions, therefore you should probably choose a different device for development work.
Are the Geeksphones completely unlocked?
Yes!
Do the Geeksphones work with any SIM card?
Yes.
In which countries are the Geeksphones available?
Geeksphone will ship to all countries. The phone will need to clear customs in the destination country, however. If you have any concerns, contact your local customs office.
Which Geeksphone device should I buy?
Currently the only phone Geeksphone is selling is the Revolution - a phone that comes with Android, but can be reformatted to FirefoxOS.
The Peak had a faster processor, a better camera, and a larger, high-DPI screen than the KEON. As such, many developers would find this device preferable to the Keon. However, support for high-DPI devices is still being implemented, so there may be various visual glitches and bugs. The Peak may be an appropriate device if you're willing to accept those problems. Also, it may be a good choice if (a) you're interested in contributing to Firefox OS, particularly to implement high-DPI support, and/or (b) you're an app developer that wants to target high-end devices that will ship in the future.
Technical specifications
Interested in the technical specifications of the Geeksphones? Look no further!
Revolution
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | Intel 1.6ghz dual-core |
| Telephone | HSPA/WCDMA: 2100/1900/900/850 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
| Screen | 4.7" IPS LCD Multi-touch (960×540) |
| Camera | 8 mp /Flash LED, front 1.3mp |
| ROM capacity | 4 GB |
| RAM capacity | 1 GB |
| Connectivity | MicroSD MicroUSB WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 3.0 GPS, AGPS |
| Sensors |
Light/proximity sensor |
| Battery | 2000 mAh |
Keon
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon S1 7225AB (1GHz) |
| Telephone | UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA) GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE) |
| Screen | 3.5" HVGA Multi-touch (320x480 pixels) |
| Camera | 3 megapixels |
| ROM capacity | 4 GB |
| RAM capacity | 512 MB |
| Connectivity | MicroSD MicroUSB WiFi 802.11N Bluetooth 2.1 EDR FM Radio GPS |
| Sensors | Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Accelerometer |
| Battery | 1580 mAh |
Peak
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| CPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 8225 (Dual-core 1.2Ghz) |
| Telephone | UMTS 2100/1900/900 (3G HSPA) GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (2G EDGE) |
| Screen | 4.3" qHD IPS Multi-touch (960x540 pixels) |
| Camera | 8 megapixels (back) 2 megapixels (front) Flash |
| ROM capacity | 4 GB |
| RAM capacity | 512 MB |
| Connectivity | MicroSD MicroUSB WiFi 802.11N Bluetooth 2.1 EDR FM Radio GPS |
| Sensors | Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Accelerometer |
| Battery | 1800 mAh |
Firefox OS on Geeksphones
Here you'll find answers to questions about getting builds of Firefox OS for the Geeksphone, as well as about using and updating the devices.
Where can I find builds for the Geeksphones?
An index of builds for Geeksphone devices is available on the Geeksphone website.
Where can I find build manifest files?
Manifest files for all Geeksphone builds are available here: http://www.geeksphone.com/manifests/.
How do I flash a build to my Geeksphone?
Geeksphone has provided some instructions for flashing builds to your device. Geeksphone-provided builds include the required binaries for Linux and Windows. If you are using a Mac, you will need to install the Android SDK. If you are using Windows, you will need to install the USB drivers.
How do I get support for my Geeksphone?
For any hardware or build issues, visit the Geeksphone forum. You can also email them at info@geeksphone.com or give them a call at (+34) 915 51 62 91.
For questions about developing apps for Firefox OS, view MDN articles on Creating Apps for Firefox OS as well as the Developer Hub on the Firefox Marketplace.
For questions about using Firefox OS, visit SUMO.