Facebook Phone Rumors Surface, Again

28.05.2012
Facebook has five mobile apps, no clear way to monetize its mobile users, and it is now looking to build a smartphone, according to a recent report. Yes, we've heard this all before. This the the third time the social network has been reportedly working on a smartphone to rival Apple and Google, which would arrive in consumers' hands some time next year. But, this is the first time the rumor start making sense given Facebook's post-IPO pressures to make money and 900 million user base.

To refresh your memory, the first time we've heard of the Facebook phone was in 2010 from , and the second time in 2011 from on the partnership between the social network and HTC. Facebook denied the rumors on both occasions and the only Facebook-enabled phones from the manufacturer were featuring some software and hardware integration with the social network.

According to the Times report, Facebook's first two attempts at making a smartphone were real, and not just rumors, but the phone never arrived because the social network underestimated the difficulty of building a smartphone. The third time is different, though: Facebok has hired some half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone and iPad to help.

With some 700 million users worldwide, Facebook is probably close to reaching its peak. While the social network uses several kinds of targeted ads to make money, it has some 200 million users who use Facebook from their mobiles.

That's not to say Facebook doesn't have a strong mobile presence. On the iPhone alone the social network has four different apps: an all-encompassing app among the most downloaded in the App Store's history (also on Android), a (also on Android), a fan page management app, and the latest addition is , an app similar to Instagram (also on Android), which the social network for $1bn too.

Facebook even has , however, it is missing a key feature on the iPhone, which is native iOS integration. In contrast, iOS users can tweet from most apps of the OS directly, and upload photos to the network, while Facebook has not gained such privileges from Apple.