The first smartphones running Mozilla’s Firefox OS have finally gone on sale, though anyone who’s excited about the upcoming challenger to Android and iOS had probably better hold onto their horses for the moment. The devices in question – available from almost unheard of Spanish outfit Geeksphone – are reported to be geared at developers looking to build apps for the Firefox OS, rather than the consumers that’ll eventually use them.

We first saw Geeksphone’s Peak and Keon models being previewed at CES last January, and these devices have finally gone on sale today, priced at 179 Euros ($234) and 110 Euros ($134) respectively. For sure, that’s a huge discount on some of the high-end Android smartphones being hawked around at the moment, like the newly released HTC One at $574.99, but then again, the low price point is what Firefox OS is all about – Mozilla is hoping that its browser-based operating system will prove popular in developing countries like Brazil and India, where smartphones are all the rage despite the fact that few people can afford them.

Geeksphone’s devices might be cheap and cheerful, but they should more fit the bill for developer’s needs. First up is the higher-spec “Peak”, which Geeksphone describes as a “powerful developer preview device” that packs the following cutting-edge features:

• 1.2GHz x2 Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU;

• A 4.3-inch qHD IPS multitouch screen;

• an 8-megapixal camera in the back and a 2-megapixel camera in the front;

• 4GB of ROM and 512MB of RAM; and

• MicroSD, Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, Radio FM and GPS, and a MicroUSB.

Then there’s the more affordable “Keon”, described as “light and versatile”, but nevertheless loaded with all of the features that developers need to start creating software for the Firefox OS:

• 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU;

• a 3.5-inch HVGA multitouch screen;

• a 3-megapixel camera;

• 4GB of ROM and 512MB of RAM; and

• MicroSD, Wi-Fi N, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, Radio FM, GPS support, and MicroUSB.

Developers who are interested in the Firefox OS platform have already been given a host of tools from Mozilla to help them get started, including a simulator of the Firefox OS that previews how apps will appear when running on it. These tools can be found at the Firefox Marketplace, which Mozilla hopes will ultimately become home to the thousands of news, games, business and productivity apps it needs if it wants to steal Android’s market share.

Firefox apps will be quite different from what we’re used to on Android and iOS, as they will only be built using HTML, JavaScript and CSS. Nevertheless, several notable developers have signaled their belief in the platform, with Facebook, Pulse news, AccuWeather, Nokia HERE, Twitter and SoundCloud all promising to have apps ready by the time Firefox OS is up and running.

Does Firefox OS Have Any Chance At All?

So strong is Android’s grip on the consumer smartphone market right now, doubts have already been raised about Mozilla’s chances of cracking it. Yet the signs would seem to suggest otherwise – according to a report this morning in CNet, Geeksphone has already sold out of both models in its line-up, something that reinforces its claims that Firefox OS is poised for success.

Indeed, Geeksphone is so confident about Mozilla’s effort that it actually gave up making Android phones last year. In an interview with The Next Web, Geeksphone’s CTO and Founder Javier Aguera cites three reasons for that decision, including the fact that Mozilla has already established itself as a global brand with its Firefox browser. In addition, Mozilla already has some serious support in the form of 17 different telecommunications networks, including Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Sprint, China Unicom and others, while device makers like Huawei, ZTE, Alcatel, Sony and LG have all promised to make Firefox phones. Finally, Mozilla’s strategy of targeting markets that have seen relatively little smartphone penetration should also pay off, with many consumers in countries like Brazil, Colombia, Serbia, Hungry and Venezuela likely to buy their first ‘smart’ devices within the next couple of years.

We should also note that Mozilla isn’t the only challenger hoping to have an impact in the mobile world in the next 12 months. Canonical has similar ideas about bringing Ubuntu to the mobile stage, while Samsung is determined to make a success of its own Tizen OS.