Mozilla previews next-gen mobile Firefox for Android

Mozilla on Thursday released a preview of its next-generation browser for Android, prosaically naming it Firefox Preview.

The browser, which ultimately will replace the current Firefox for Android browser – nicknamed “Fennec” – is powered by a new mobile engine, labeled “GeckoView.” Modular in nature, GeckoView is a combination of Mozilla-made Android components and the latest Gecko rendering engine cribbed from desktop’s Firefox Quantum, all packaged as a reusable Android library that can be plugged into other apps.

By detaching Gecko from Firefox, Mozilla will be able to almost totally secede from Google’s control and influence on Android. Not only does Mozilla not rely on Blink – the Google-made engine that other Android browsers use – but it won’t have to use WebView, the operating system’s built-in, bare-bones web page renderer for other non-browser apps.

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