frankly speaking, Do Facebook need to create phone?

[PinkPatty]

FB wouldn’t spend 1 billion on Instagram, the wildly popular photo-sharing app on the iPhone and Android, if it aimed to actually kill other mobile platforms? Do they really need to build a FB phone!?

 

[bigdrew]

Android was designed to integrate Google's services--and this has created the expectation that, out of the box, a phone should have an expansive app market with multimedia content, maps/navigation, etc. Facebook would be doing the opposite, in that they would be essentially building all of the services, minus the social network thing, around an OS. That's a large obstacle to overcome. But they don't have a choice, Facebook needs to diversify in order to grow, and they need to do it quickly. Given the growth of mobile, it makes sense. However they're going to have to pump a lot of resources and capital in this, and hope that stockholders are patient enough to wait for results years later.

 

[IOWA]

Thread moved to the lounge since it really doesn't have much to do with Android. Cheers.

 

[dan330]

OP started a thread about this already...
http://androidforums.com/android-lounge/555855-fb-smartphones.html

she must really like the idea of a FB phone..

but I think it is a stupid idea! pissing their resources on a wild goose chase.

 

[zuben el genub]

They want to compete, but they don't have half the stuff that Google does. Someone suggested that FB go buy Nokia.

And leave Opera ALONE!

 

[mikedt]

TBH I don't think FB would actually create a phone from scratch. But it would probably be quite easy for FB to have their own phone. They'd only have to go to a Chinese OEM that makes Android phones, e.g. Foxconn or one of the other thousands of Shenzhen OEM Android phone and tablet makers, and have a phone made with FB branding and customised Android software... viola!!...The Facebook phone.

Android was designed to integrate Google's services--and this has created the expectation that, out of the box, a phone should have an expansive app market with multimedia content, maps/navigation, etc.

Android is not just for Google's services. After all Android devices like the B&N Nook Color or Kindle Fire e-readers AFAIK don't have Google's services on them as standard. Almost no Android devices here in China have Google on them. There's absolutely NO expectation for Android to have Google's services here.

Facebook would be doing the opposite, in that they would be essentially building all of the services, minus the social network thing, around an OS. That's a large obstacle to overcome. But they don't have a choice, Facebook needs to diversify in order to grow, and they need to do it quickly. Given the growth of mobile, it makes sense. However they're going to have to pump a lot of resources and capital in this, and hope that stockholders are patient enough to wait for results years later.

Probably wouldn't cost that much at all, certainly a mere fraction of what FB paid for Instagram. They only have to go to an OEM phone and tech. manufacturer in China like Foxconn, tell them what they want, pay the appropriate fee. This is what OEMs do all the time. Android itself is extremely customizable, they can make it do very much anything they like, e.g. only accessing FB's walled garden.

Make the Facebook phone cheap enough on a simple low-priced, no commitment, pre-paid plan, NO expensive mandatory two year contracts...(Microsoft made that mistake with their ill-fated KIN phones). I'm sure many young FB addicts would buy it.