It seems Facebook liked HTC’s ChaCha and Salsa unofficial Facebook-themed phones, so much so that the two companies are now working on an official Facebook smartphone.
Sources close to tech news website AllThingsD have confirmed that Facebook and HTC have agreed terms and are working together to create the first official Facebook phone. This handset will be unlike HTC’s ChaCha and Salsa phones – affordable Androids with a Facebook button – but will be entirely themed around the social network.
That said, we do know that much like the ChaCha and Salsa, the new Facebook phone – codenamed ‘Buffy’ – will run on Android software. Sources suggest that the version of Android will be customised, potentially to integrate Facebook and its features into the menus and apps of the OS.
AllThingsD’s source is reportedly an insider at Facebook, and has spoken of the Social Network’s aims to make the smartphone more social:
“Our mobile strategy is simple: We think every mobile device is better if it is deeply social. We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers to bring powerful social experiences to more people around the world.”
With several smartphones already offering a pretty good Facebook experience, we have to wonder what exactly Facebook and HTC will come up with to beat the competition.
For example, HTC’s Salsa and ChaCha phones feature a dedicated button which takes you directly to the Facebook app. This button can be pressed in other apps such as Camera or Music to post media to your page. Alternatively, INQ have released the Cloud Touch smartphone, which integrates Facebook even further into other apps such as Contacts, as well as into the Android homescreen.
With HTC’s smartphone expertise and excellent build quality, we could be treated to a decent quality smartphone with better social features than ever before. The price would have to be right though, as the handset would be competing for the hearts of BlackBerry owners we feel.
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Source: AllThingsD