We’ve heard some rumblings about a mobile version of the beloved Firefox browser in the past but now, for the first time, Mozilla is speaking openly about the portable browser. In a blog post, Mozilla’s VP of Engineering, Mike Schroepfer reveals that the company is working on a mobile version of Firefox that will be largely based on existing Firefox code. “Up until very recently device limitations required writing new mobile browsers from the ground up,” Schroepfer writes. Now, however, the team will be “able to leverage all the investments in the Mozilla platform across both desktops and devices,” thanks to recent improvements in mobile hardware. This is great news for open-source proponents and for those looking for a mobile Safari-style full web experience on a mobile device. Don’t throw away that iPhone quite yet, though: Mobile Firefox isn’t expected to be released until after Firefox 3, which is currently expected sometime next year.

For more on the announcement:
– see this blog entry