Andre Yoskowitz
19 Sep 2010 3:40
According to a source speaking to TC, Facebook is currently working on a smartphone, one that they hope will rival Android and iOS devices.
Facebook is developing the mobile OS and UI, then working with a third-party to build the actual hardware.
The source says it has become apparent to the social networking giant that iOS and Android are becoming very powerful platforms, and that Facebook's official apps may not be enough to stay competitive.
Joe Hewitt and Matthew Papakipos, two of Facebook's highest-level employees, are said to be working on the project, which would deeply integrate the many social networking features of the site into user's contacts lists.
Hewitt was on the original team that created Firefox and was on the team working on "Parakey" before Facebook purchased it in 2007. Parakey was supposed to be a "Web-based OS." He has also created Facebook's "mobile" and "touch" versions, and the native iPhone apps.
Papkipos was working on the Google Chrome OS until he jumped ship to Facebook this year.
From this point on, everything else is speculation but it should be interesting to see if this "Facebook Phone" comes to fruition, and when.