Unless FB are considering making it impossible for others to access it's API, building a phone seems like a better deal for Facebook than it does for it's users.
Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
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Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#12> Or rather, they’re building the software for the phone and working with a third party to actually build the hardware. Which is exactly what Apple and everyone else does, too. What? Apples and oranges. Apple designed the hardware, they're a hardware company. What TechCrunch?
But they outsource the actual manufacturing to FoxConn.
Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#13I'm still waiting for the long-rumored Facebook gmail-killer. Wasn't there a rumor of a Facebook browser at one point too? So I'm not holding my breath on this one-although a Facebook-branded version of Android might make sense.
Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#14> Or rather, they’re building the software for the phone and working with a third party to actually build the hardware. Which is exactly what Apple and everyone else does, too. What? Apples and oranges. Apple designed the hardware, they're a hardware company. What TechCrunch?
But they outsource the actual manufacturing to FoxConn.
The point is that outsourcing the manufacturing (like Apple) is extremely different from outsourcing the hardware design. That the iPhone's hardware and software is designed under one roof is a huge advantage. It's extremely unlikely that Facebook has hired out the hardware engineering and industrial design teams needed to go the Apple route. If they were doing that, someone would have probably noticed by now.
Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#15I don't understand where they're coming from. Android's Facebook integration is a little rough, but all the problems are with the Facebook application.
When it comes to the article's touted benefits of deep integration in the OS - calling a friend, deep syncing contacts, etc, Android does it all already.
I have it set to only sync contacts that are already in my phone, but if a friend texts me who has their number on Facebook, their picture shows up instantly, no syncing required. It's downright creepy to the point of making me seriously consider turning it off. OS integration is a solved problem. It's actually browsing Facebook that doesn't work.
Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#16Ah, this might explain why their apps and mobile site are such crap.
This could be a popular gadget if done right. "Facebook Phone" is instantly understandable by any FB user, whereas it's not at all clear to them that they can fully use FB on an iPhone/BlackBerry/Android (and indeed, they can't).
They could make it tiny and cheap, which might capture customers that just want a smartphone for social stuff. It would be hard for any mobile app to consistently match the user experience, especially if FB keeps adding features.
They could even do simple third party apps, just like they do on the web site.
Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#17The thing is, everyone I know uses Facebook the website but hates Facebook the company. I don't see the Facebook brand selling phones (I recall they rated on the bottom of brands in some study).
Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#18Awesome. Microsoft does search, Google does mobile OS, Apple does social networks, now Facebook does phones. Its an all out tech war.
Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#19I've been waiting for this for years- it always seemed so obvious to me. Had Facebook done this a few years ago, I think it would have been a huge preemptive strike against the iPhone (and possibly Foursquare). After all, Facebook has the UX skills combined with massive amounts of data. Now, though, it comes off more as a "me too" move. Hopefully it's built on Android. Even if it looks and works nothing like Android,…
If they do apps, I bet they will work more like the apps on the site: very high level, markup for UI, thin client, server backed. This will keep the phone cheap, the software simple, and is conducive to the kind of social apps they want.
Re: Facebook Is Secretly Building A Phone
#20Is "stuff people want" == being owned by some company? I rather doubt it, but then again, human nature is full of surprises. For example, a lot of people might want to be told what to do.