The new HTC First with deep Facebook integration has finally revealed. Compared to the previous HTC-Facebook tie up devices such as the HTC Salsa and ChaCha, HTC First offers a refreshing take on a official Facebook phone experience.

Let’s start with the new HTC First specs. It is powered with a new mid-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 that’s running on dual-core 1.4GHz with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. At the front there’s a 4.3″ 720p HD display with a 1.6MP ultrawide front facing camera and there’s a f/2.0 5MP camera at the rear with a wide angle 28mm lens.

You’ll get the usual connectivity features such as NFC and LTE but the supported bands are limited to LTE 850 and 1900MHz only. It is juiced up with a non-removable 2,000mAh battery and runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

In terms of colours, the HTC First is available in Black, White, Red & Blue and it will be exclusive to AT&T in the US while in Europe it is launching with EE and Orange. So far there’s no word on availability for the rest of the word. You can check out the full specs of the HTC First device over at HTC’s product page.

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	Android, HTC, Mobile Apps, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS
	Android, Facebook, Facebook Home, Facebook Home download, Facebook Launcher, Facebook phone, HTC, HTC Facebook, HTC Facebook phone, HTC First, HTC First Malaysia

Facebook is expected to unveil its own device which is seen to be the successor of the HTC Salsa and HTC ChaCha. Rumoured as the HTC First, the Facebook integration is more than just putting a dedicated button on the phone. It is expected to come with deeper integration including a fresh new UI that brings your Facebook feeds upfront on the home screen. Overall, the HTC First would make Facebook updates and check-ins a whole lot easier.

In terms of specs, it is rumoured to be a mid-tier device with a 4.3″ 720p display, dual-core Snapdragon S4 Plus processor, 1GB of RAM with Android 4.1.2 OS. More details are expected to be revealed later today at a press event.

[ SOURCE, 2, VIA ]

	Android, HTC, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS
	Facebook, Facebook phone, HTC, HTC Facebook phone, HTC First

Update: We’ve added the HTC ChaCha Maxis plans. For those who missed out on the RM299 HTC ChaCha, the normal price after 24-months contract subsidy is RM499, RM200 more than the special price. It’s still not a bad deal for an decent entry-level Android 2.3 phone if you don’t mind the 24-months contract at RM48/month.

Maxis will be offering the HTC ChaCha starting this Friday, July 22, and as a build-up to the launch, the operator is offering the first 200 units of the Facebook phone at a low price of RM299 (from the original RRP of RM1,099). But as always with these crazy deals, there is a catch.

To be eligible for the RM299 HTC CHaCha, you first need a spot in the Maxis ChaCha line. To get a spot, you need to go to the Maxis ChaCha Facebook page here and register. Once you’ve registered, you need to check in to the page at least once every 24 hours to ensure that you don’t lose your spot.

On top of that, you have to subscribe to a Maxis 500MB (RM48/month) plan for 24 months. At the time of writing this post, there was less than 100 people in the ChaCha line, so your ChaCha-nces of getting one at RM299 is still good.

All the best!

	HTC, Maxis, Mobile Devices, Players on the Field
	Facebook, Facebook phone, HTC, HTC Chacha, HTC Chacha Malaysia, HTC ChaCha Malaysia price, HTC ChaCha Maxis, HTC ChaCha price Malaysia, HTC Facebook phone, Maxis, Maxis HTC Chacha

Maxis is offering 200 of the HTC ChaCha Facebook phone for just RM299 (RRP RM1,099). To stand a chance to grab the phone at this ridiculous price all you need to do is “stand in line” via Maxis’ ChaCha Facebook page to reserve your HTC ChaCha. Though little else information is available, as the HTC ChaCha is an Android phone, we assume that the normal Maxis Android package applies and for you to be eligible for the RM299 price, it is very likely that you will have to sign a contract with Maxis as well.

To ensure that your RM299 HTC ChaCha remains yours you’ll have to check in the Maxis ChaCha page at least once every 24 hours. If not, you might lose your spot.

Maxis says this is the first ever queue for a phone launch via Facebook, well, they are technically correct. A few months back, Asus did the same thing with its Eee Pad Transformer where those who are interested in the device could book a unit via Facebook.

To register your spot for the HTC ChaCha at RM299 with Maxis click on Facebook. Though the app looks like it’s jammed up right now as we can’t go beyond the “Register Now!” page. The Maxis ChaCha Facebook page is working fine now.

Good luck people!

	HTC, Maxis, Mobile Devices, Players on the Field
	Facebook, Facebook phone, HTC, HTC Chacha, HTC Chacha Malaysia, HTC Facebook phone, Maxis, Maxis HTC Chacha

HTC has officially announced the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa in Malaysia which aims to offer greater Facebook experience. Running on the latest Android 2.3.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense UI, both Chacha and Salsa also comes with a dedicated Facebook button prominently placed at the front. This makes sharing on Facebook easy with a press on the button, be it status update, photos or even the title of the song that you’re listening to.

When HTC ChaCha and Salsa was announced at MWC, both devices had 600MHz processors. Today HTC has upgraded both to 800MHz and it comes with 512MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM.

The ChaCha has a full QWERTY keyboard with a 2.6″ touch screen with 480×320 resolution while the Salsa is a full length touch screen device with a 3.4″ display supporting 480×320 resolution as well. Both has 5MP camera at the back and a VGA camera in the front. In terms of connectivity, the rest are pretty much the same with your usual Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n with hotspot capabilities and microSD expansion.

The HTC ChaCha is available in 3 colours – Modern White, Phantom Black and Amethyst Purple, and it is priced at RM1,099. Maxis will also be offering this on contract beginning early July which is just a few weeks away. Meanwhile the HTC Salsa which is available in Blue will be priced at RM1,499. Both devices are available at all authorised HTC resellers. Earlier on, the HTC Salsa had an early appearance through DiGi’s FB contest.

Full press release after the jump.

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	Android, HTC, Maxis, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS, Players on the Field
	Android, DiGi HTC Salsa, Facebook, Facebook phone, HTC, HTC Chacha, HTC Chacha Malaysia, HTC Facebook phone, HTC Salsa, HTC Salsa Malaysia, Maxis, Maxis HTC Chacha, Social Networking

Also announced by HTC at MWC are 2 Facebook phones – HTC Salsa and HTC Chacha that comes with a distinctive Facebook button at the front. Both devices are running on Android 2.3 Gingerbread with customised HTC Sense.

Earlier it was speculated that this could be a Facebook phone. Although it can be called as one, it actually isn’t an official device but more of smart phone with deeper Facebook social integration. From the video of Mark Zuckerberg shown at MWC, HTC is just one of the few phone makers that took the initiative to put more social features into the core of the device.

So what’s the difference between the two? The HTC Salsa is a full touchscreen device while the HTC Chacha has a full QWERTY keyboard at the bottom for those who desire a more tactile feel to their input. Apart from the physical appearance, both Salsa and Chacha are actually identical in terms of hardware.

Both runs on a 600MHz processor that comes with 512MB of RAM and 512MB of ROM which is expandable via microSD. In terms of screen, the Salsa measures at 3.4″ while the Chacha at 2.6″ with both capable of displaying a respectable 480×320. Both has a VGA camera in front and a 5.0MP auto focus camera with flash at the back.

Since it runs on Android, what makes it any different from the other HTC phones? Apart from the direct Facebook button, HTC has also created customised Facebook widgets and features which makes Facebook the focal point of the device. This is obviously not a phone for those who doesn’t have a Facebook account.

Check out more videos and images after the jump.

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	Android, HTC, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS
	Android, Facebook, Facebook phone, HTC, HTC Chacha, HTC Chacha Malaysia, HTC Facebook phone, HTC Salsa, HTC Salsa Malaysia, Social Networking

What started out as a rumour is now looking pretty much confirmed. This here are the first press shots of HTC’s version of a Facebook phone. No specs have been revealed just yet but the HTC phones look to be running Android judging by the navigation buttons at the bottom of the two devices pictured here.

As you can see there are two versions, for the two types of people in this world — full touch screen or QWERTY keyboard. We’re putting our necks out on this but it also looks like the QWERTY version may just have a touch screen as well. We might be wrong but we have an inkling that it could be.

Who cares if the INQ Cloud phone won’t make it outside of Europe, this pair from HTC is looking rather attractive if you ask us. What do you guys think?

Higher resolution pictures after the jump.

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	HTC, Mobile Devices
	Facebook, Facebook phone, HTC, HTC Facebook phone

All things considered this is not a actually a “Facebook Phone” but a phone that’s build around Facebook, designed to be hyper-connected to the social network allowing users to connect with Facebook through a mobile platform on a deeper level.

The official name of the device — as it was earlier revealed — is the INQ Cloud Touch. There are two versions of the device one with a touch screen and another adds a QWERTY keyboard into the mix. Essentially both devices are run-of-the-mill Android phones with customised Facebook features.

The INQ Cloud’s customised UI provides comprehensive options for the Facebook user ranging from a visual news feed with images and video to one-button access to features like Facebook Chat and location-based check-ins.

Specs wise its, you get a 3.5-inch HVGA screen, a 5MP camera and a 600MHz Qualcomm processor with 4MB of on board storage. It’s nothing much but it gets the job done. The Cloud runs Froyo (Android 2.2) and INQ says a Gingerbread upgrade is in the works.

The reason INQ gave the Cloud phone a modest specs is because the makers wanted it to be affordable and accessible to a market that will find this device appealing.

Fair notion and specs-wise the Cloud phone looks to be a decent mid-level smart phone. Unfortunately it is almost certainly not coming to Malaysia.

[via]

	Android, Mobile Devices, Mobile OS
	Android, Cloud, Facebook, Facebook phone, INQ, INQ Cloud, INQ Cloud Touch

Note: Mock up Facebook phone pictured NOT actualy device

Late September last year (2010) there were rumours flying around from legit sources like Bloomberg and International Business Times that Facebook is working on a phone but these rumours were greeted with much skepticism. No one thought that a Facebook centric phone would make much sense considering that the Facebook app is doing a strapping job (on the iPhone and iPod at least) keeping users connected to their favorite social network.

Turns out, there is a whole lot of truth in that rumour and Facebook is indeed working on a phone that has the functionality of the social network built into its core. A handset known as the INQ Cloud Touch has just received Bluetooth certification, and based on the design description, it appears that Facebook phone development is in full swing.

There will be two versions of the Facebook phone, one featuring a QWERTY keyboard and the other a full touch screen device both will most probably run on Android rather than a bespoke OS developed by Facebook. In applying for the Bluetooth specification INQ submitted the following description about the phone:

An Android smartphone built to make messaging faster and smarter. It’s designed around the way people naturally communicate and has Facebook built into its core. The homescreen features multiple entry points to different Facebook functions, while a dynamic widget displays a feed of status updates, albums, videos and photos.

The INQ Cloud Touch is slated for and early 2011 release Europe but this has not yet been confirmed but considering the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is just around the corner, expect to see more information about this Facebook phone to come trickling in.

[source]
[picture credit]

	Mobile Devices
	Android, Facebook, Facebook phone, INQ, INQ Cloud Touch

Facebook sent out media invites for an announcement that the social networking site will be making this week.

The invite mentioned a “mobile event” and immediately the web’s a buzz with notions that Facebook will be announcing a Facebook phone but that rumour has been strongly denied by Facebook.

So if it is not a phone, what will Facebook launch this coming November 3? No one can tell for certain but what we can expect is that it will be something big. Big in this case could mean either a hardware or platform-related announcement or it could simply mean an new version of its official app for iPhone and Android.

Truth be told, we’re not sure but come November 3 we’ll definitely stay up to find out what the hubbub is all about, so keep it locked on!

[source]

	Mobile Apps, Mobile Devices
	Facebook, Facebook announcement, Facebook mobile announcement, Facebook mobile event, Facebook phone, mobile, November 3