Facebook making its own mobile phone?
Techcrunch has a scoop that Facebook is in the midst of developing its own mobile phone. No full details yet, and it could either be a big scale mobile app or an actual Facebook device with its own custom OS.
According to the article, Facebook is concerned that the mobile landscape being heavily dominated by iPhones and Android which prompted them to do something about it. They have 2 high level employees, Joe Hewitt and Matthew Papakipos that had experience working with Firefox and Google Chrome OS respectively. The duo are believed to be linked to this secret mobile project and they are capable in developing OS particularly mobile.
So do we really need another Mobile OS when most of them have Facebook integrated already? Apparently this facebook mobile platform may not necessary compete with the giants head on. It could be a cheap mobile device with Facebook heavily integrated that’s easily within reach of the masses. We’re thinking along the lines of Nokia’s entry level Social Networking phones like the Nokia C3.
Another speculation is that Facebook could be hooking up with INQ, a social networking mobile device maker which is invested by Li-Ka Shing. The same tycoon also runs 3 Mobile, and he also happens to invest in Facebook too. So this could be another possibility of 3 Mobile, INQ and Facebook partnership for a dedicated FB phone. Perfect Software + Hardware + Network combination, don’t you think? It is too early to tell now but lets see how it goes.
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VIDEO: HTC Desire Z – A closer look
Earlier on, you’ve seen a showcase video from HTC on the Desire HD. Next up is the Desire Z that comes with a unique QWERTY pop-out keyboard.
HTC has made several QWERTY devices in the past but somehow they didn’t offered one for Android after the original HTC Dream/G1. Although it is a matter of personal preference, a QWERTY keyboard is more appealing for power users that use them a lot for work. That could be one of factors why Motorola Droid is a top selling model. Even its replacement Droid 2 hasn’t changed much from its original form. Not to stand there and watch its rivals enjoy all the fun, HTC has joined in with the Desire Z.
Just a recap on the specs, it comes with the latest 800MHz Qualcomm 7230 processor, 1.5GB of internal storage and 512MB of RAM with expandable microSD slot. It’s also capable of recording 720p HD videos with its 5MP camera. The Desire Z now has with a dedicated camera button, which has been omitted on several HTC Android devices before.
The main design highlight would be the keyboard as it employs a “pop-hinge” mechanism which pops upwards and folds down in a Z motion, hence the Z in the name. On the QWERTY keyboard, HTC has also added 2 shortcut keys at the bottom right which is user customisable. Also not forgetting that it runs on Android 2.2 Froyo and the latest version of HTC Sense that’s vastly improved with new features. We seriously can’t wait for this to arrive in Malaysia.
Check out the video after the jump.