AfterDawn: Tech news

Facebook working on smartphone

Written by Andre Yoskowitz @ 19 Sep 2010 3:40 User comments (9)

Facebook working on smartphone 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.

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9 user comments

119.9.2010 04:13

i come here for all this excellent news! =P

219.9.2010 09:48

This is a lame idea, which will sadly appeal to somebody.

319.9.2010 10:12

why is this even a news...

419.9.2010 11:55

Why doesn't Facebook just improve the mobile app. Creating their own phone just for the sole purpose of keeping their followers logged in on the go is outrageous to me. What a waste of their money this will turn out to be.

619.9.2010 23:00

Originally posted by Mik3h:
Confirmed false.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/19/is-fa...sk-erick-tseng/
False just like the slim PS3, PSPGo, Nexus One, etc. etc. lol will write a follow up tonight with FB and TC's comments.

720.9.2010 19:02

The Facebook phone may have a market...but with high-school or college-aged geeks. You know the ones wearing the dress shirts and the pocket protectors....

820.9.2010 21:23

Maybe it will be as good as the Kin! ;-)

921.9.2010 12:00

Originally posted by DVDBack23:
Originally posted by Mik3h:
Confirmed false.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/19/is-fa...sk-erick-tseng/
False just like the slim PS3, PSPGo, Nexus One, etc. etc. lol will write a follow up tonight with FB and TC's comments.
Yeah...I generally consider anything engadget (AKA AOL) says to be wrong.

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