Facebook is working with HTC to build their own smartphone

The Social Networking giant Facebook is reportedly working with HTC in order to release their own smartphone by mid-year 2013.

The Social Networking giant Facebook is reportedly working with HTC in order to release their own smartphone by mid-year 2013. This is derived by Bloomberg from sources familiar with the matter. This is not the first attempt by facebook though. Facebook’s first two attempts at making a smartphone were real, and not just rumors, but the phone never arrived because the social network underestimated the difficulty of building a smartphone. The third time is different, though: Facebok has hired some half a dozen former Apple software and hardware engineers who worked on the iPhone and iPad to help-reported Times.

This time it seems a little bit more authentic because of two reasons. First, Bloomberg has reported it. Secondaly, the company is working with HTC which earlier has come up with phones with dedicated Facebook buttons in form of HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa. This time they are shifting gears to produce an authentic Facebook phone.

The device was actually scheduled for a release this year, but then Facebook seems to have given HTC some time for developing the Taiwanese companies own products.

This is aimed specifically at monetizing mobile platforms. Out of the 3.15 billion dollars advertising sales last year, none came from mobile ads.

Usage is shifting to mobile, and they have not been able to monetize mobile,” “To the extent that it’s a device you own and carry around with you at all times, and it ties into the Facebook experience, it will be beneficial. They could then put a lot of ads onto the platform.” –reportedly said Victor Anthony, Analyst at Topeka Capital Markets Inc.

“Our mobile strategy is simple: We think every mobile device is better if it is deeply social,” “We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers to bring powerful social experiences to more people around the world.” Reportedly said Menlo Park, California-based Facebook Engineer.

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