While not quite at the level of the white iPhone 4 when it comes to mythical devices, the Facebook phone certainly is getting up there. After CEO Mark Zuckerberg shot the rumors down last year, they've emerged once again today. According to City A.M., HTC is building a pair of Facebook branded phones, one touch-only and one with a physical QWERTY, that will run an altered version of Android complete with total Facebook integration. That means messaging, chat, News Feed, and everything else will be built right in. Additionally, the devices will be Facebook-branded and sport the site's colors. It's said that the two handsets will "draw comparisons" to HTC's Nexus phones and will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress next month.
We heard a rumor just a couple of weeks ago that a mysterious phone named the INQ Cloud Touch could end up as the Facebook phone, but I'm sure that more consumers would be interested in the device if it/they were HTC-made. Then again, considering how huge Facebook is, it probably wouldn't really matter who makes the phone as long as it can adequately feed your addiction to the service. Would a Nexus-like Facebook phone convince you to pick up a device centered around the 'Book or are you a bit more polyamorous when it comes to your social networking?
UPDATE: BGR claims to have gotten more details about a Facebook phone from a source that claims to have been in a focus group testing the device. Features that the site thinks will be included in the device based on questions asked:
- Coupons pushed to you based on your location and interests
- Always-on GPS that automatically checks you in on Facebook Places
- Little to no storage (focus is on cloud storage)
- Messages all placed in a single inbox, along with ticker to read data
Via Android and Me, City A.M., BGR
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