Mozilla is planning to take on industry leaders Apple and Google by developing a version of its Firefox operating system specifically for wearables. Firefox OS, which is starting to appear in smartphones and select TVs, will be adapted for use in smart glasses, smartwatches, and other wearable devices as an alternative to Google’s Android Wear or Apple’s iOS. Mozilla’s ultimate goal is to provide Firefox OS as a system to easily connect appliances, mobile devices, television sets and wearables, regardless of their OS.

The company believes it is important to provide consumers with a consistent user experience by offering an operating system that works across more Web-connected devices.

“The Firefox OS is already being used in low-cost smartphones, and will be used in 4K TVs released by Panasonic in 2015,” reports CIO. “Mozilla now wants to expand the OS to a wider range of devices, including wearables and home appliances, said Joe Cheng, manager of product and project management of the mobile devices group at Mozilla, in an interview on the sidelines of the CES conference.”

While Android Wear can only communicate with Android devices, and the Apple Watch will likely connect only with the iPhone, Mozilla is hoping that its technology will enable wearables with Firefox OS to interact with all devices, regardless of their operating systems.

“The biggest asset in Firefox OS is the use of open-source technologies, which could make it attractive to hardware makers,” suggests CIO. “But Firefox OS has been criticized for its slow speed on handsets, and it remains to be seen if Mozilla can create a truly competitive, lean OS for wearables.”

Related Stories:
Panasonic Taps Firefox OS for its 4K TV, The Wall Street Journal, 1/7/15
First Look: This is Panasonic’s Firefox OS-Powered TV, GigaOM, 1/6/15