Facebook just issued an invitation for another of its increasingly rapid product introductions, this time inviting the press to “Come See Our New Home on Android” on April 4.
No word yet precisely what this will be, but not surprisingly, speculation has already begun. Josh Constine at TechCrunch hears it could be a modified version of Google‘s Android mobile operating software with Facebook services built in. It might be installed on an HTC cell phone, he hears–a possibility that may be the source of those persistent rumors, also persistently denied by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, about a Facebook phone.
A customized version of Android might help Facebook become more of a central service on smartphones than it can with simply an app that sits on top of Android. Facebook already offers communications-related services that are natural to mobile devices, such as Messenger, which allows for free Internet voice calls, at least on the iPhone. Constine also hears the project could be called “Facebook Home” since it would put news feed stories right on the home screen.There’s also speculation that Facebook could indeed announce its own phone. But given the stark denials by Zuckerberg–for the very good reason that Facebook wants to be on every phone, not just its own–this still seems highly doubtful.In any case, though, this is the clearest indication yet that Facebook is dead serious about making sure it’s as indispensable on smartphones and tablets as it has been on the desktop–especially since more people access it on mobile devices than desktops now. It has been particularly focused on providing new ad formats for mobile devices, and it’s a good bet that whatever it announces will provide for better opportunities for advertisers as well as Facebook users. It looks like Facebook's got an Android-related event up its sleeve next Thursday April 4th right here in the Bay Area. So, what's this about? A major revamp of Facebook's Android app? An Android-based Facebook phone like HTC's rumored Myst? Whatever it is, we'll obviously be there to liveblog the announcement in great detail, so be sure to tune in at 1PM ET (10AM PT). While focusing its recent efforts on features like Graph Search and News Feed, Facebook's been clear that mobile is a top priority for 2013. Let's just hope this event brings something more exciting to fruition than HTC's half-baked Status.
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