facebook phone

Does Facebook's new 'Home' put too much Facebook in your face? (podcast)

If you're one of the people who get Facebook's new Home software, your social-media life will be front and center whenever you pick up your phone. It's literally putting Facebook in your face.

While that may have appeal to heavy-duty Facebook users who want to be in constant touch with their social graph, it raises some issues about "presence." People have their phones with them almost all the time, including when they're interacting with friends, family, and work colleagues, and many of us (myself included) have a habit of paying attention to our phones … Read more

Facebook unveils 'Home,' a family of apps for your Android phone

Facebook unveiled a new "Home" on Android at a press event at its Menlo Park, Calif., headquarters today -- a family of apps meant to keep mobile audiences always affixed to its social network.

Facebook Home consists of a set of the social network's apps that become the home of your Android phone. With Home, the device's home screen transforms into "Cover Feed," or a visually rich and swipe-able version of News Feed for your phone. Home also includes a more picture-perfect version of messaging, complete with a Facebook-invented feature called "Chat Heads,&… Read more

Facebook phone? Many consumers say 'meh'

So Facebook says it's got a "new home on Android," and we're invited to the housewarming tomorrow, which CNET will be live blogging from. Many speculate the highlight of the occasion will be the launch of a Facebook phone, or at least a Facebook-centric forked version of Android that could land soon on an HTC phone.

The only problem is, when it comes to the idea of a new Facebook phone, or skin, or whatever, very few consumers seem likely to click "like."… Read more

Leaked pics portray Facebook's take on Android

What does Facebook's "Home" on Android look like? It's a twist on the Android user interface that's image-rich, includes graphical notifications, and offers quick access to popular Facebook features, according to pictures obtained by 9to5Google, a constant source of rumors about Facebook's "phone" in the past few days.

The pictures add some additional color to "Facebook Home," a supposed version of the Android operating system that makes the social network's features and applications native to smartphones. Tomorrow, the social network is expected to reveal its home running on an … Read more

HTC 'first' device may be Facebook's starter Home

Another day, another Facebook "phone" rumor. This time around, the folks at 9to5Google believe that a leaked photo of a device apparently called the "HTC first" means that we'll see Facebook's "Home" on Android debut on the iPhone-like smartphone.

Thursday, Facebook is expected to show off an HTC device running "Facebook Home," a version of the Android operating system that makes the social network's features and applications native to smartphones.

The device in question was rumored to be code-named "Myst," but a new rumor suggests the phone … Read more

Why investors are brushing off Facebook's home on Android

The Facebook "phone" is a snooze fest -- at least, that's Wall Street premature take. Investors haven't batted an eye at various rumors and reports about the social network's new home on Android, which will arrive on April 4.

Facebook shares opened today at an unremarkable $25.60, and have since lost around half a percent in value.

The itty-bitty decline immediately follows Facebook's late Thursday announcement about an Android-related event, which led many to speculate about the potential unveiling of a long-rumored Facebook phone. The latest leak suggests Facebook will show a special … Read more

Tracking the rumor that just won't die: The Facebook phone

Facebook executives love to do verbal tap dances around the idea of a phone. It's been going on for years: reports, denials, reports, denials. And now, just two months after a categorical denial from CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself, it seems that at its event next week, Facebook may well go ahead and release what arguably amounts to a Facebook phone.

OK, it's not really a Facebook phone that Facebook watchers are expecting. But this time, it's undeniably something phone related. The social network on Thursday sent out media invitations to "Come See Our New Home on … Read more

Is a new Facebook-centric phone coming?

CNET Update gets social:

Stories featured in Friday's tech roundup:

- Facebook expected to announce an HTC smartphone

- Path plots subscription service for 2nd quarter

- Amazon scoops up Goodreads social network

- New Windows 8 specs could open door for 7-inch tablets

- First look at the $99 Ouya game console

Watch CNET Update in the video above, and subscribe to the podcast via the links below.

Subscribe:

iTunes (HD) | iTunes (SD) | iTunes (HQ)

RSS (HD) | RSS (SD) | RSS (HQ)

Facebook on the verge of announcing HTC smartphone?

Rumors of a Facebook phone have been flying around for years. But has the time come for that chatter to become reality?

Word has it that the social network may be making the big announcement at an upcoming press event next week. Facebook sent out invites today asking members of the media to "Come See Our New Home on Android" on April 4. If history is any gauge, Facebook announcements with invites like this tend to be grand in scope, such as Graph Search and the News Feed redesign.

Facebook has reportedly been working on an advertising campaign … Read more

Facebook phone rumors resurface with HTC Myst specs

Freshly leaked details for an upcoming HTC Myst seem to confirm rumors of a new "Facebook phone."

Specifications obtained by Unwired View line up nicely with previous chatter for the so-called Facebook smartphone. Reportedly, HTC and AT&T will again collaborate on an Android smartphone targeted at Facebook addicts. It's still unclear, however, how soon such a device would arrive on store shelves.

Hardware details for the HTC Myst apparently include a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB RAM, and 16GB of internal storage. Additionally, the handset could feature a 4.3-inch 720p HD display, a … Read more