Facebook Home Reviews Arrive 70
Last week Mark Zuckerberg announced Facebook Home, a bit of software that aims to transform a smartphone's homescreen into a Facebook feed. Now, its release date has arrived, as has the earliest device to house Home: the HTC First. Reviews for phone and software have begun to appear, too. The Verge calls the device itself "a mid-range phone, through-and-through." Its hardware is capable but not impressive, and it's slow enough to be noticed, but not to annoy. What interested them the most was that by turning off Facebook Home, you get an operating system that's very close to an unpolluted, stock Android 4.1.2. Ars generally agrees, pointing out its solid feel, the trade-off of a less-readable but more-holdable 4.3" screen compared to the trend toward 4.8" displays, and an awkwardly placed micro-USB port. As for the Facebook Home Software: "Home takes status updates out of the Facebook app and slaps them right on your homescreen. Instead of little boxes scrolling vertically, however, each update from your News Feed becomes a full-screen photo with small bits of text at the top," says the Verge, adding that having Facebook updates located between you and whatever you picked up your phone to do can be awfully distracting. Ars says, "What we've seen is an application focused solely on making the Facebook experience the hub for all of your social correspondence, but that can be extremely limiting for those who use a number of other social networks." Both publications praise 'Chat Heads,' Facebook's way of surfacing messages without having to dig through a messaging app.
Home screen (Score:5, Insightful)
I cannot think of anyone who is so dominated by Facebook that they would want it on their home screen. My experience is that text messaging is the dominant use and that does not need a Facebook account.
Re:App? (Score:5, Insightful)
Because they're paying for it?
"those who use a number of other social networks" (Score:5, Insightful)
Of course, in facebook's eyes, there's a simple solution for that: don't use the other social networks.
IF they decide to do away with the regular facebook app, imagine how many people would basically be turning their phone into a 'facebook phone' (because they've 'got to' have facebook, and the mobile site is laughable even without the "but it's not an app :("-factor), at the expense of other social networks.. such as Google+.. and that on what is largely considered to be Google's platform.
facebook chat is already chewing away at WhatsApp... now all facebook needs is forced short messages in a(n optionally) separate stream and who even needs twitter anymore?
Re:Home screen (Score:2, Insightful)
A lot of people I know use facebook messaging as their primary messaging. (phone & browser)
Don't forget text's aren't the only way to send messages... whatsapp, imessage, google chat, email... They all have plus points (often to utilitise wifi, or if you're in a different country texting is too expensive)
Heck, most of my phone's usage is probably on facebook, if this was on IOS I'd probably use it.
Re:Home screen (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Finally! (Score:5, Insightful)
I especially like how half of the review is about the user experience when Home is turned off.
Re:Facebook would be a lot more valuable as a serv (Score:5, Insightful)
I hate to break this to you, but if FB charged everyone for their service they would still sell your information to anyone and everyone because more money is more money.
Right now they'd face a huge backlash from the FB faithful if they started to charge for basic service (they already want $$$ to get your posts to all your friends, or to let you send messages to Señor Zuckerberg or celebrities). Losing a major chunk of their "product" would adversely affect their revenue stream enough to derail them. Had they started charging a low fee (say, $10 a year) early in their history then most FB users wouldn't think twice about it (though they would have significantly less users).
The words "Facebook" and "trustworthy" can never be used together in a positive way (except for "I'm positive Facebook isn't trustworthy").
Maybe we need to stop calling these things phones. (Score:5, Insightful)
If the primary purpose of your "device" is NOT to make phone calls, then... it's something else. It's a handheld digital multipurpose device with cellular capability.