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Facebook smartphone with HTC launching soon

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Re: Facebook smartphone with HTC launching soon

#11

Post by EvanKelly »

hospadam wrote: post #9

Personal disclosure - I'm not interested in a Facebook phone in the slightest (mostly for privacy concerns). I think this is an interesting concept. Let's assume it is in fact a total fork of Android, in essence, a "Facebook Phone". I really think (as big as Facebook is) they will have a hard time with this. I'm not sure there is space for another type of device - even if it is a massive consumer brand. I get the sen…

Don't forget that Facebook owns Instagram as well. My non-tech friends (most of them) use exactly 2 apps regularly on their phones. Facebook and Instagram. I'm not sure any of them would jump at a Facebook branded phone, but I think a phone with Instagram in mind as the key feature (e.g. an awesome camera, integrated filters, not sure what else) might strike a chord with some of my friends.

EDIT: Almost forgot about Vine. That seemed to blow up in popularity in my demographic recently here in Hawaii. if Facebook owned Vine, they would have the holy trinity of apps.

Re: Facebook smartphone with HTC launching soon

#12

Post by Total_Meltdown »

hospadam wrote: post #9

Personal disclosure - I'm not interested in a Facebook phone in the slightest (mostly for privacy concerns). I think this is an interesting concept. Let's assume it is in fact a total fork of Android, in essence, a "Facebook Phone". I really think (as big as Facebook is) they will have a hard time with this. I'm not sure there is space for another type of device - even if it is a massive consumer brand. I get the sen…

I honestly don't know anyone who actually likes Facebook. My group of friends and I continue to use it because there just isn't any better way for us to stay in touch at scale on a day-to-day basis, and nobody really cares enough to put up with the fragmentation that moving to a different network would cause. So it's in this weird middle ground of being too important to give up outright, but not important enough to bother actually fixing.

Re: Facebook smartphone with HTC launching soon

#14

Post by niggler »

Total_Meltdown wrote: post #12
hospadam wrote: post #9

Personal disclosure - I'm not interested in a Facebook phone in the slightest (mostly for privacy concerns). I think this is an interesting concept. Let's assume it is in fact a total fork of Android, in essence, a "Facebook Phone". I really think (as big as Facebook is) they will have a hard time with this. I'm not sure there is space for another type of device - even if it is a massive consumer brand. I get the sen…

I honestly don't know anyone who actually likes Facebook. My group of friends and I continue to use it because there just isn't any better way for us to stay in touch at scale on a day-to-day basis, and nobody really cares enough to put up with the fragmentation that moving to a different network would cause. So it's in this weird middle ground of being too important to give up outright, but not important enough to b…

"I honestly don't know anyone who actually likes Facebook."

That's the thing I've never understood. On the one hand, on the nightly news Facebook is discussed as if everyone has an account (and that privacy changes actually matter to most viewers). On the other hand, none of my close friends use facebook.

Re: Facebook smartphone with HTC launching soon

#15

Post by Mahn »

EvanKelly wrote: post #11
hospadam wrote: post #9

Personal disclosure - I'm not interested in a Facebook phone in the slightest (mostly for privacy concerns). I think this is an interesting concept. Let's assume it is in fact a total fork of Android, in essence, a "Facebook Phone". I really think (as big as Facebook is) they will have a hard time with this. I'm not sure there is space for another type of device - even if it is a massive consumer brand. I get the sen…

Don't forget that Facebook owns Instagram as well. My non-tech friends (most of them) use exactly 2 apps regularly on their phones. Facebook and Instagram. I'm not sure any of them would jump at a Facebook branded phone, but I think a phone with Instagram in mind as the key feature (e.g. an awesome camera, integrated filters, not sure what else) might strike a chord with some of my friends. EDIT: Almost forgot about…

> if Facebook owned Vine, they would have the holy trinity of apps.

Just for the record, Vine belongs to Twitter, so don't count on that happening any time soon :)

Re: Facebook smartphone with HTC launching soon

#18

Post by Mahn »

kayoone wrote: post #10

I just hope they stay true to the Android core, we dont really need another mobile OS that is based on Android but isnt compatible.

According to TechCrunch the press invitation says "Come see our new home on Android"; if they were to take Amazon's approach I would expect them to omit mentioning Android completely, so I guess this tells something.

Re: Facebook smartphone with HTC launching soon

#19

Post by pasbesoin »

Meta and/or OT: I simply don't believe public statements nor PR, any more.

I seem to recall prior FB comments on this (PR or senior executives) being: We're not doing a phone.

So... "strategic" and "protecting our interests" and "must maximize our value" and "timing" and... Lots of arguments for not giving a straight answer prior to this (even if that is "no comment").

However, with all the talk of "corporate personhood" being bandied about, these days, I'm going to choose to treat businesses that do this the same way I'd treat an individual that did so. You lied.

Why, then, should I believe anything else you're telling me?

Again, this is aside from the specific topic of this phone. Nonetheless, I find it pertinent.

Re: Facebook smartphone with HTC launching soon

#20

Post by nsmartt »

niggler wrote: post #14
Total_Meltdown wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I honestly don't know anyone who actually likes Facebook. My group of friends and I continue to use it because there just isn't any better way for us to stay in touch at scale on a day-to-day basis, and nobody really cares enough to put up with the fragmentation that moving to a different network would cause. So it's in this weird middle ground of being too important to give up outright, but not important enough to b…

"I honestly don't know anyone who actually likes Facebook." That's the thing I've never understood. On the one hand, on the nightly news Facebook is discussed as if everyone has an account (and that privacy changes actually matter to most viewers). On the other hand, none of my close friends use facebook.

>none of my close friends use facebook

I'd say you're lucky. Most of my friends use Facebook. I refuse, so I'm out of touch with most of them. I figure if we aren't willing to keep in touch in other ways, our friendship isn't holding up very well anyway.

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