reuters.com
The Home experience for Android was unveiled at the much-anticipated Facebook event last night, with the company revealing that the software will not only be available for free download, but that a new HTC smartphone is to be rolled-out next week with “Home” pre-installed.
Facebook says that the Home experience - which it specifies is neither an operating system, nor an application - will “turn your Android phone into a great, living, social phone”; adding that the new offering is set to change the way computing devices are used.
“We designed Home to be the next version of Facebook. But we also wanted to do something more. We wanted to reimagine the way we all use computing devices to make us more connected and bring us closer to the people we care about.”
Home takes over the home screen and lock screen of a device with what Facebook terms a “cover feed”, which will display constant updates from friends, allowing the phone user to either scroll through updates or double tap to read particular content.
“Cover feed is for those in-between moments like waiting in line at the grocery store or between classes when you want to see what's going on in your world,” Facebook explains.
A chat feature entitled “Chat Heads” allows for the use of other apps while chatting via Facebook Home, by displaying a head shot of the friend in question when a message arrives. SMSs are also integrated into the feature.
Direct contact via Facebook from friends - such as a post on a user’s wall - will prompt a notification to appear on the phone’s screen, which can either be dismissed or viewed.
The Home experience will become available for free download via the Google Play Store on April 12, and will initially work on HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung Galaxy S3, and Samsung Note II devices - with the service to be rolled out to more devices over the coming months.
Meanwhile, also on April 12, the HTC First smartphone will become available for sale, which will see Home pre-installed under the Facebook Home Program - which invites manufacturers to sign up and pre-install Home on devices; many companies already having partnered with the program.
The Home Program is the element of last night’s revelations that comes the closest to a Facebook phone - which many expected to be launched at yesterday’s event.
