Teaming up with Apple & Google shows the social network?s canniness in choosing partners
Facebook is ready to unveil its own entrant in the smartphone market?the Facebook Phone. Going by the company?s recent releases and some insider information, experts and journalists are sure that the new phone will be announced on April 4. Further, all signs point towards the phone employing Google?s Android operating system (the hardware is reportedly to be built by HTC). Using Android shows that Facebook has been remarkably canny in how it has handled the ongoing shift to mobile devices. Earlier, Apple decided to fully integrate Facebook into the latest version of its operating system?this allows you to post your thoughts, photos, videos and location on Facebook with a click of a button. Now, with a Facebook phone running Android, the social network is all set to gain the same deep integration in Google?s OS?all the while keeping well clear of the brewing conflict between Apple and Google. According to Kevin D?Souza, country growth manager, Facebook India, the number of monthly average users of Facebook mobile products has grown 57% from 432 million in December 2011 to 680 million a year later. Smartphones are where the growth is, and Facebook is doing well to root itself deeply in the top two operating systems.
Facebook has been smart with its partnerships. Before the Apple and Android deals, it joined forces with Yahoo for the acquisition of patents and for advertising during major media events like the Olympics. This concerted push into the mobile space is yet another sign of the company?s foresight.