NEWS / SMARTPHONES

Facebook phone not on the wishlist of every Facebook fan

| by Aneez Shaikh | Smartphones

The rumored Facebook phone is not on the priority list of every Facebook fan, a new study has found. In a poll conducted by a UK-based digital marketing agency, 50 percent of people who were asked their opinion on the Facebook phone said they would never switch to a Facebook phone.


However, if at all they opt for switching, the deciding factor would be improved functionality, followed by price and then design. Five hundred people around the world were questioned in the survey in a bid to gauge consumer appetite for a Facebook phone, reports The Telegraph.

 

This doesn't come as a big surprise, though. Tech 2's opinion section had already carried a piece last month, saying that there's absolutely no need for a dedicated Facebook phone when practically all smartphones  - and a majority of feature phones - are already Facebook-ready.

Gets 'biz'y

Facebook

 


The rumors of the Facebook phone has been around for quite a long time now and just refuse to die, despite the fact that Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already shot down these rumors in clear words, stating that they are not building a whole phone but are instead aiming at supporting an ecosystem that can help apps build on Facebook.

 

The number of users accessing Facebook on their mobile phones and smartphones has surpassed those who access it on their computers. This trend gained momentum only over the past couple of years when smartphones featuring a dedicated Facebook app came into the picture. These apps allowed users to easily access the social networking site on-the-go, with all the possible features neatly packed into a user-friendly app. Facebook has made a few attempts already to introduce a social networking-friendly handset in the past and tied up with companies such as HTC to develop and release "Facebook Phone". Devices such as the Android-powered HTC Salsa and HTC ChaCha didn't quite receive as much success as hoped for, and so it was back to the drawing board. The most recent attempt at cashing in on their mobile fame came in the form of the Vodafone Facebook Phone, the Blue 555. The Java-based QWERTY device, although not a smartphone, integrated a great deal of the social network into a simple, yet chic looking handset. Unfortunately, it seemed that its popularity had passed.

As if...

Do you need a Facebook phone?

 


The XDA Developers site had even gone to the extent of claiming that the official Facebook handset will be running a Unix OS and will feature Opera’s mobile browser.


It was claimed that Facebook is not publicizing this smartphone project codenamed "Buffy". Everything is being kept under wraps and it is speculated that Facebook is "going door-to-door to find the right talent for the project". The news about Project Buffy surfaced last year, when reports came in stating that Facebook was planning to launch a smartphone with social networking at its core, and not merely a handset with a dedicated Facebook button, as found on the HTC ChaCha. Following the acquiring of Instagram, Facebook recently announced the Facebook Camera, which in retrospect, appears to be the brand's attempt at paving the way for a heavily customized camera app for smartphones.

Tags: Facebook phone , Facebook , Facebook smartphone , Facebook phone Linux , Facebook phone Opera , Facebook Opera , Facebook Linux , Facebook Linux phone , Facebook Opera phone , Facebook new phone , Facebook smartphone , Facebook upcoming phone

JOHN GREEN IS FAT.

25 Feb, 2010, 05:25 am IST

JOHN GREEN IS FAT.

Hello Everyone! My Name is SeaNanners - Techno Kitten Adventure (S02E04)

02 Apr, 2012, 06:40 am IST

Hello Everyone! My Name is SeaNanners - ...

 


SPOTLIGHT

Nokia Lumia 720 Review

Nokia Lumia 720 Review

21 May, 2013, 01:00 PM

6 Things to look for when buying a 'future-proof' smartphone

6 Things to look for when buying a 'future-proof' smartphone

If you’re out looking for a new smartphone, then there are a couple of...

By Roydon Cerejo

Smartphone launches this week: May 13-17

Smartphone launches this week: May 13-17

In the hustle-bustle of everyday life, you might have missed the launch of

By Nikhil Subramaniam

Panasonic P51: A Specifications Review

Panasonic P51: A Specifications Review

Priced at Rs 26,990, the P51 will face some really tough competition from...

By Nikhil Subramaniam

MORE FEATURES

Nokia Lumia 720 Review

Nokia Lumia 720 Review

21 May, 2013, 01:00 PM IST

 7.0

We’ve already established that the Lumia 720 is Nokia’s best effort as far as Windows Phone 8 handsets go. This could soon change once the Lumia 925 hits markets, but as it stands now, the Lumia 720 offers the best blend of features and performance, wrapped in a beautiful package that’s quite affordable.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Review

LAVA iris 455 Review

Lenovo S890 Review

Nokia Lumia 520 Review

Sony Xperia E Dual Review

MORE REVIEWS

Hands-on with the quad-core Panasonic P51

Rim Jhim

Tue May 21, 17:43:40

Nokia Lumia 720 Review

Arpit Agarwal

Tue May 21, 17:23:22

Google shows developers how to hack Glass and run Ubuntu

Jonas Blevslagensombarnsson

Tue May 21, 17:21:49

MORE DISCUSSIONS