EFT Report, California: Facebook launched a new application for Android-driven smartphones and tablets on Thursday (April 4, 2013), a move that comes as a fast-growing number of its 1.06 billion users access the social networking site on their mobile devices.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage a little after 1 pm ET in Menlo Park, California, to unveil what the company is calling Facebook Home.
It's essentially an all-encompassing app for any Android device. Facebook Home becomes the homescreen for the phone, a filter through which all other devices and applications can be used.
Zuckerberg began the presentation by noting that currently, smartphone users spend 20 per cent of the time they're using their devices on Facebook. And the company wants to increase that by transforming itself into a central hub through which all other applications can be used.
Later in the presentation, Facebook announced that Taiwanese phone maker HTC will build a Facebook-branded phone, called First, which will be available to US consumer starting April 12 and will come with all the latest Facebook-related apps and the Home technology pre-installed. That's the news that people were expecting, but as it turns out, the software being used on more Android devices was the larger news of the day.
Others, including HTC's One X and One X Plus and Samsung's Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 2 will follow. And the upcoming HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S IV will also be able to run Home.
The move is aimed at helping Facebook make gains in the mobile space. Although it's the most popular social network on the planet, with more than a billion users, Facebook is a laggard in the mobile space as it struggles to get advertising revenue from the growing base of users who go on Facebook through their phones.
Last year, the company began showing ads to its mobile audience by splicing corporate sponsorships and content into users' news feeds, which also includes updates from friends and brands they follow. Among the challenges Facebook faces now is showing people mobile ads without annoying or alienating them.
Ads will eventually be incorporated into Home, but not at first.
Gartner analyst Brian Blau says he's impressed with Facebook's commitment to update Home once a month with additional features. He says Home "could be a game changer if you are a heavy Facebook user."
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| Zuckerberg Launches Facebook Home |
It's essentially an all-encompassing app for any Android device. Facebook Home becomes the homescreen for the phone, a filter through which all other devices and applications can be used.
Zuckerberg began the presentation by noting that currently, smartphone users spend 20 per cent of the time they're using their devices on Facebook. And the company wants to increase that by transforming itself into a central hub through which all other applications can be used.
Later in the presentation, Facebook announced that Taiwanese phone maker HTC will build a Facebook-branded phone, called First, which will be available to US consumer starting April 12 and will come with all the latest Facebook-related apps and the Home technology pre-installed. That's the news that people were expecting, but as it turns out, the software being used on more Android devices was the larger news of the day.
Others, including HTC's One X and One X Plus and Samsung's Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note 2 will follow. And the upcoming HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S IV will also be able to run Home.
The move is aimed at helping Facebook make gains in the mobile space. Although it's the most popular social network on the planet, with more than a billion users, Facebook is a laggard in the mobile space as it struggles to get advertising revenue from the growing base of users who go on Facebook through their phones.
Last year, the company began showing ads to its mobile audience by splicing corporate sponsorships and content into users' news feeds, which also includes updates from friends and brands they follow. Among the challenges Facebook faces now is showing people mobile ads without annoying or alienating them.
Ads will eventually be incorporated into Home, but not at first.
Gartner analyst Brian Blau says he's impressed with Facebook's commitment to update Home once a month with additional features. He says Home "could be a game changer if you are a heavy Facebook user."
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