“Facebook [yesterday] invited press to an event at its headquarters on April 4th to ‘Come See Our New Home On Android,'” Josh Constine reports for TechCrunch. “Sources tell us it will be a modified version of the Android operating system with deep native Facebook functionality on the homescreen that may live on an HTC handset. The evidence aligns to say this is the Facebook Phone announcement people have been speculating about for years.”
“It’s said not to be a full-on rewrite of Android, but rather a ‘flavor’ that will have all sorts of extra Facebook functionality built in,” Constine reports. “We’ve also heard it referred to as an ‘application layer.’ Imagine Facebook’s integration with iOS 6, but on steroids, and built by Facebook itself. It could have a heavy reliance on Facebook’s native apps like Messenger, easy social sharing from anywhere on the phone, and more.”
Constine reports, “With deeper control of a modified operating system would come huge opportunities to collect data on its users. Facebook knows that who your SMS and call are important indicators of who your closest friends are. Its own version of Android could give it that info, which could be used to refine everything from what content you’re shown in the news feed to which friends faces are used in ads you see.”
Read more in the full article here.
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Why not April 1st ?
Because all the different phones out there are not enough, and people are screaming for yet another?
“…huge opportunities to collect data…” Sounds like Facebook intends to be the next Google. No thanks!
.. intends to be .. ???
If its going to work as good as the app, the it’s doomed from the start.
Exactly, FB can’t even create a decent iPad app.
And how will they survive without Flash-Farmville?
FaceBook was somewhat a grassroots startup…
but like underground bands with visions and meaningful purpose later sell out to commercialism. FaceBook fallows the status quo. It’s a horrible site idea just poorly designed environment. To miss quote Steve Jobs, “they just have no class”. *(scooped from his disgust in microsoft; statement). I can imagine him saying the same now for FB.
Social networks – people spend far too much time playing all types of games – mind body and spirit – the age of aquarius has arrived – do as you want when you want how you want… chaos is near – its a look at me me me world – sick
A phone certain to be as successful as the Facebook IPO.
They’ve got the wrong idea. People want more functionality out of their phones. Narrowing the focus of the phone to social networking will likely only be a hit with a small group of people. Most people want their phone to do everything well – voice, internet, camera, mail, flashlight, gps, note taking, movies, music, etc. New phones are even looking to replace the tv remote with integrated ir blaster. Social media is great, but I wouldn’t want it to be the primary focus of my phone at the expense of other functionality.
Maybe they are just building a niche product for those that want it. The world is a better place with more choice and variety. Will stick with my iPhone though.
They are buying Web OS , the phone will be called FacePalm.
And manufactured in a FacePlant?
The bastard Android bubble of fragmentation…. is well and truly Busted 🙂
Set sail for fail Fuckerberg. Nobody wants a feature purposed phone. Smartphones are general purpose computers.
And Facebook probably has worse taste than Microsoft. I can’t see them being any good at product design.
I think the biggest question is how much will this phone cost?
I could see a Facebook phone being successful if it was released for little or nothing. But why would anyone with more than one working brain cell pay a smartphone price for a device that will harvest your info 24/7?
——RM
The same people that are using Facebook every day. The phone will just make it easier than it already is. Facebook, stay away from it. In the end it can cause you more trouble than it’s ever going to be worth. How did people survive before Facebook and Twitter? Quite well actually.
Facebook is a fad. I belong to the ex-facebook crowd – bored by the inanity of the chattering masses, annoyed by the proliferation of ads and turned off by Facebook’s persistent rule changes and their grab for personal information. People grow out of facebook, and its becoming more fashionable not to be there…
So all that’s important to you is to be fashionable?
How shallow you are…(rolls eyes)
Far more important to me is contact and communication, with friends, and with the large number of artists who appreciate the direct contact that Fb allows with their fanbase, which was not the case with MySpace, plus MySpace’s continued reliance on Flash guaranteed its failure when it’s target user base switches to mobile devices that don’t run Flash.
They don’t care about fashion, and neither do their fans.
I hear you “sunbeamrapier”
LinkedIn was a great contact site before.
The professionalism has lost its shine. Of course these companies require funding to keep running… yet again look at what Apple is doing.
FaceTime and Messaging and iCloud (basic) are services funded by Apple by other means (perhaps from iTune profits) YET making those services FT / M / iC – free to us consumers. And may I add, without Ads, NOR branded Apple logo – even.
Apple treats its user base EXTREMELY well; with great respect. There is no other company like Apple. They see the entire picture.
Fashion, Fads, whats in style – I think FaceBook is a horrid way to keep in contact. Though it is remarkable how almost organic and well all the updates and posts function. Technology wise it is a wonderful coded miracle – but for important contacts – ouch – no way. Its far to loose and far too socially in the public eye… recommended not for everyone. Hell many have lost jobs from what others post or what people foolishly think employers will not see.
Happy Apple has not fallowed the rage of the social networks… we have enough and yes I believe the fad is fading.
Instant messaging is sweet. Email is old and slow but still for professional use. FaceBook has gone commercial – let it SINK.
I can’t wait to see how the ihaters spin this stupidity!