Apr 04
Facebook Home is a new way to experience Facebook on your Android handset. And when Zuck introduced this latest push into mobile, he threw out a whole bunch of terms we’d never heard before. Here’s what they mean.
Apr 04
Facebook announced and showed off its new Facebook Home start screen/home screen feature for Android devices today, and there was a lot of new stuff that the social network went over, including features like Chat Heads, Cover Feed, and of course, the new HTC First smartphone built specifically for Facebook junkies. However, here’s everything you need to know about today’s announcements.
Facebook Home is essentially a family of apps that can run on any Android device, although HTC announced the HTC First, which is a new smartphone specifically built with Facebook Home in mind. This device will become available starting April 12 for $99 after signing a new two-year contract with AT&T.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg emphasizes that Facebook Home is built around people, not apps, which means that users can spend more time interacting with their friends and families on their smartphones, rather than take unnecessary time to switch between all the apps that you have piled onto your Android handset.
Facebook Home includes Cover Feed, which displays recent status updates from your friends, with notifications to go along with them, only this time they’re more integrated into the Android OS. The Cover Feed is the first thing you see in Facebook Home, and it’s there to make sure that you receive all of the important updates from your group of friends.
There’s also a new messaging platform in Facebook Home called Chat Heads, which allows you to easily chat with your Facebook friends without leaving the app that you’re currently in, which means that there’s no app-switching required. In Chat Heads, a small avatar icon will appear in the corner of the screen when you receive a message. From there, you can tap on it to reply to the message, and then flick it off of the screen to go back to what you were doing.
Facebook Home will be available starting on April 12, and it’ll be a free download in the Google Play store. Facebook notes that they’re not trying to “fork” Android with their new product, and are mostly trying to supplement Google’s OS. Either way, Facebook Home will work on most Android devices, and the new home screen launcher will soon work for the HTC One, One X, One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III, GALAXY S 4, and the Galaxy Note II. Plus, Facebook plans to update the launcher every month with new features and support for more devices, which is always a good thing in our book.
Facebook Home run-down: everything you need to know is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apr 04
This week the Facebook Home Android homescreen replacement experience has been revealed, and with it no lack of questions on the part of future users. While many users will be downloading Facebook Home as an app from the Google Play store, there will be a variety of smartphones being released in the coming months that have Facebook Home loaded right out of the box. The HTC first is the first of these, it also being the first smartphone to have Instagram out of the box – so what’s the difference between your experience there and your experience on the smartphone you’ve got now with Facebook Home loaded to it?
According to Facebook, the differences are quite small at the moment – while the first answer given by the Facebook crew at the main event today was a bit dodgy, Mark Zuckerberg himself made things clear.
Any differences between downloaded version of Home vs embedded experience on the HTC first?
The new user setup experience is much cleaner, and the opportunity to get other notifications (like Spotify) is better integrated.”
Zuckerberg: we’re going to try to work with OEMs going forward to expose different hooks that aren’t normally available to Android without OEM support.
So there you have it, folks – for now the differences are essentially non-existent.
UPDATE: This point has been clarified – the downloaded version of Facebook Home will not have notifications from apps outside of Facebook in its main Cover Feed – if you purchase a Facebook Phone, any app you download will work with notifications inside Facebook Home.
With the HTC first we’re sure to see the smallest amount of difference between a downloaded experience and the handset with the software installed on it out of the box. In the future when companies like Samsung, Sony, Huawei, ZTE, Lenovo, and ALCATEL ONE TOUCH start in on the party, we might see more.
Be sure to stick around our Android Hub for more action on the smartphone front, and have a peek at the timeline below to get all the Facebook Phone sweetness!
Facebook Home app vs Facebook Phone: what’s the difference? is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apr 04
So who are the lucky people who get to try out Facebook Home first? Well it turns out that those of us who have an HTC One, HTC One X (X+), Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung GALAXY S4, or a Samsung Galaxy Note II will be able to take advantage of Facebook Home when it launches on April 12th. That way you won’t have to grab Facebook and HTC’s lackluster HTC First in order to take advantage of Facebook’s new product.
The HTC First is unappealing, however at the right price point, it may be able to snag some sales. It comes with a dual-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera, 1.3MP front-facing camera, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, AT&T 4G LTE, and will be the first phone designed around Facebook Home. The specs aren’t jaw-dropping, however if the phone was priced at $49.99, or even for free, it may do well.
Facebook Home is a series of apps that make Facebook the center of your phone. Facebook’s theme for today is that phones should center around people, and not around apps. Facebook Home will bring you Cover Feed, which brings you updates from your friends all in real-time. It’ll be the first thing you see when you open your app. You will also get notifications from apps and friends straight on your home screen. Chat Heads lets you message you friends while you do other things like surf the web or watch videos.
Facebook Home is set to launch on April 12th, and you get to decide whether or not its something jaw-dropping. From the looks of it, it does look pretty interesting, and I’m glad Facebook decided to release it as just an app, rather than an entire OS. That way if you don’t like it, you can revert back to your original Android experience. Be sure to check out our timeline below, and our Facebook Tag Portal for the latest Facebook news. Also check out our Android Hub for the latest, important info on Android.
Future devices that will support Facebook Home is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apr 04
What Are Facebook Chat Heads?
Posted in: Today's Chili
One of the centerpieces of Facebook’s new interface are “chat heads,” Facebook’s vision for the way that we should do messaging. Sounds fun! But what are they, exactly? And will they really change how we communicate? More »
Apr 04
Facebook announced and showed off what they’re calling Facebook Home today, but that’s not all. HTC and AT&T also made an appearance, and the phone maker officially announced the HTC first, a new smartphone specifically catered toward Facebook users, and it’ll be available the day that Home will be released: April 12, and it’ll priced at $99 after a two-year contract.
The HTC first will sport a 4.3-inch LCD display with a 720p resolution, as well as a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor — one of Qualcomm’s newest chips that was announced not too long ago. The phone also packs a 5MP camera on the back, as well as a 1.6MP camera on the front for video chatting and taking selfies.
The phone will also come with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean out of the box, meaning that you’ll have access to the latest features of Android, including Google Now, improved notifications, and a smoother UI thanks to Project Butter. Plus, there’s 1GB of RAM to keep you going through all the Facebook multi-tasking you’ll need.
With AT&T’s CEO at the Facebook event right next to HTC, it makes sense then that the first will be available on AT&T, and will support the carrier’s fast 4G LTE. Overall, this looks to be the phone to get if you’re a Facebook junkie at heart. Have a look at our Android Hub for more Android news!
HTC first available April 12 for $99 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apr 04
Mark Zuckerberg wants to turn your Android phone into a simple sharing device. And by that, he means he wants to turn it into a Facebook phone.
Apr 04
Facebook Home brings a variety of features that make it more than just an app. One of the new features will be the new “Cover Feed”. Cover Feed will be the first thing you see when you open Facebook Home. It will bring you the latest and important status updates from your closest friends as soon as you open the app. That will make sure that you never miss out on an important event again.
Facebook is concentrating on making your phone more about people rather than just apps, something that Zuckerberg has been echoing throughout the entire event. With Cover Feed and Facebook Home, you will always be connected with your closest friends and family members. Everything is available to you at a moment’s notice. Like Zuckerberg said, everything is just “one swipe away”.
Facebook Home will be available on the upcoming HTC First, that is set to be announced. It does feature lackluster specs, including a dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 5MP rear-facing camera, and a 1.6MP front-facing camera. The only things carrying the device are 4G LTE and Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. However, luckily for us Facebook lovers, there are plans for more phones coming in the future.
Alongside Facebook’s Cover Feed, Facebook has announced another new feature called Chat Heads, that gives you an “immediate personal connection” to those you’re close with. Even if you’re using another app, if someone messages you, you will be notified via a bubble on the top corner of your phone. Be sure to check through the latest Facebook news today through our Facebook Tag Portal. Also check out our Android Hub for the latest, important info on Android.
Facebook Home Cover Feed lockscreen detailed is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apr 04
Facebook just announced Facebook Home, an all-new start screen/home screen of sorts for Android devices. The company took some time to demo the new software, and show us all the cool goodies, but what people really want to know is when Android users will be able to grab Facebook Home and use it for themselves.
Facebook Home will be available as a free download in the Google Play store starting on April 12, which is just next week, so it seems users won’t have to wait long to get a hold of it. Off the bat, Facebook Home will only be available for Android phones, while tablet support is in the works and will become available in the future.
Once you have Facebook Home installed, the company says that you’ll have the choice of trying it out once, or you can set it up so it’s always in use instead of the standard launcher that comes with your Android handset. Facebook says that Home will be available for tablets “in the coming months.”
As for devices that Facebook Home will work best on, Facebook as partnered with a handful of companies, both phone makers and carriers, including HTC, Samsung, EE, Qualcomm, Sony, Huawei, Alcatel One Touch, Lenovo, ZTE, AT&T, and Orange. Plus, Home will have more features and will be offered on more devices as time goes on. Facebook says it plans to release these kinds of updates once a month on average.
Facebook Home available April 12th, updates each month is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Apr 04
This week the folks at Facebook have teamed up with HTC to show off the first of what may be many Facebook Phones in what’s called the HTC first. This smartphone brings the full Facebook software experience to you in an Android-based user interface called “Facebook Home”. This smartphone is a mid-range unit when it comes to hardware specifications and will be offered in a variety of color casings.
With the HTC first you’ll be rolling out with a 4.3-inch LCD display with no less than 720p resolution for your everyday sharp Facebook interactions. This device will be rolling out with a lovely Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor, this being the same SoC that you’ll find on the Samsung Galaxy S III and the DROID RAZR HD. On the back of the HTC first you’ll find a 5-megapixel camera while the front works with a 1.6-megapixel camera for Facebook video chat and messages.
UPDATE: This device is NOT using the Snapdragon S4 as previously noted – instead it is one of the first devices on the market to be using the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400. This smartphone will also be coming with 3G/4G “multimode” LTE and will be available on the 12th of April for $99 USD attached to a 2-year contract.
You’ll be knocking out the apps with 1GB of RAM and a brand new user interface that’s based loosely on HTC’s own Sense 4.5. You’ll of course have wi-fi, 4G LTE from AT&T (at first, additional carriers on the way we must expect), and Android 4.1.2 right out of the box. We’ll be presenting some fabulous hands-on action with this device soon – there we’ll have additional insight in to how this device functions and if it’ll be the smartphone you’ve just got to have in 2013.
Have a peek at our Android Hub as well for more information on the Android universe at large! We’ll be bringing you more Android and Facebook Phone (and regular old Facebook) action all day – stick around and check the timeline below for updates, too!
HTC first official: Facebook Phone unveiled is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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