Mozilla launches biggest update Firefox Quatum to speed up browsing

Mozilla has unveiled its long-awaited browser, Firefox Quantum, which it claims to be twice as fast compared to the 6-month-old release of Firefox.

Quantum boasts and completely revamped core engine and features a simplified interface called 'Photon', which speeds up load-times, cuts down on power consumption and consumes less memory than the competition.

Mozilla added that it is by far the biggest update since the launch of Firefox 1.0 in 2004. The update gives Firefox Quantum the same look on any display regardless of the device or platform - be it mobile, desktop or tablets.

Mozilla claims the Quantum UI which is scalable will let them expand in the future based on hardware changes taking place. Mozilla has also added a new feature, Pocket integration, which includes Pocket recommendations alongside the pages most visited by users.

Also with more than 60 search providers pre-installed across more than 90 languages, Firefox now offers more choice in search providers than any other browser.

Mozilla has also made improvements in the browser's core and shipped a new CSS engine, Stylo, that takes better advantage of today's hardware with multiple cores that are optimised for low power consumption.

Firefox Quantum can be downloaded for Windows, Mac, Linux, and the mobile versions at Play store and App store have also been updated.

Google, which had been Firefox's default search engine since 2004, till 2014 when Yahoo joined in is back again with Quantum. Google will be the default search engine for Firefox in the US, Canada, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Google along with other search engines was built-in on Firefox, Yahoo became the default search engine after a deal in which Yahoo paid over $300 million (approximately Rs 30 crores) a year, which was more than what Google offered to pay.

Mozilla said in a blog post that the decision is part of the company's ongoing search strategy announced in 2014. According to Mozilla the search strategy aims ''to evaluate and select the best search experience in each strategy in each region as opposed to having a single global default''.