Android Police has obtained what appears to be lots of detail about what Facebook is going to announce on Thursday. There’s considerable technical information in the post.
As rumored, Facebook is apparently announcing an HTC phone (“Myst”), which is being called mediocre in terms of its hardware specs. That phone offers a slightly modified version of Android and also an immersive homescreen experience called “Facebook Home.”
Facebook Home will also reportedly be a stand-alone app that is offered through Google Play for other handsets. It would basically make Facebook your homescreen — a kind of uber-app. Indeed, Facebook would become the phone’s dominant app.
Image source: Android Police
The Facebook Home app would apparently offer a very rich, highly customized experience of Facebook on your phone. Presumably it would always be running in the background.
I’ve speculated elsewhere that a Facebook Phone (hardware) is likely to flop. However a broader software/uber-app strategy (“Facebook Home”) is more viable. But we’ll have to see more on Thursday before passing judgment or making too many predictions. While people probably don’t want a dedicated “Facebook Phone,” some people will probably be receptive to a “bigger” Facebook experience on their Android handsets.
We’ll be there to live blog the press event and offer our perspective on the device and Facebook Home strategy on Thursday.
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