641370 - Please provide a native port on iOS; no longer prohibited on platform

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox for Android Graveyard :: General, enhancement)

Description

[Josh Triplett]

The approval of Opera for iOS has provided evidence that full browsers can make it through the approval process.  Thus, it seems reasonable that the mobile version of Firefox could so so as well.

Obviously, this represents a major porting effort.  However, it would provide a significantly better experience than the existing "Firefox Home" app.

Comment 1

[Stuart Parmenter]

There are several issues that still exist.  Opera Mini does all of its rendering server side and is more similar to VNC than a browser.  It would be great to see Apple open up their eco system, but it does not allow full browsers on the platform at this time.

Per their app store review guidelines:
2.17 Apps that browse the web must use the iOS WebKit framework and WebKit Javascript

Comment 2

[Josh Triplett]

Right, because an implementation detail like that makes Opera Mini *entirely* different than a web browser from an end-user's perspective, and completely eliminates any possibility of "confusing" the poor end-user by offering them a better browser.  (And I have no idea how Opera Mini got past 10.2, "Apps that look similar to apps bundled on the iPhone".)  Sigh, sorry for assuming sanity and consistency despite the mountain of evidence against it.

Thanks for the quick response.