A number of times I’ve tried out new apps for my Firefox OS phone and they haven’t worked. The latest was an ftp program – the only one in the app store. I got it to work once, and then not. Really, I’ve no patience for applications that are more trouble than they are worth, so I tend to give up on them, rather than struggle with them. The FF phone is all right for making phone calls, checking email and a few other things. That’s enough for me, and the price I’m willing to pay not to have to use Android or IOS.

If a better operating system or phone comes out anytime soon, I won’t be exchanging the one I have for it either.  When the battery eventually dies on this thing, I’ll just go back to my Nokia. In fact, I’ve already tried to buy a new battery – the one suggested by Geeksphone. It came, nicely wrapped in cellophane from Hong Kong, but doesn’t work in my phone. Another unhappy buyer said that he had conducted a voltage check on the pins, and found that their output differs.  It’s the sort of minimal check one might expect Geeksphone to make for their customers before making recommendations, but they’re a small outfit – not necessarily incompetent or greedy: they fixed and shipped my phone back without charge. But I guess they are investing their energies in trying to stay afloat in a market ruled by cutthroat competition.