Back in late June of this year, mobile phone company HTC released the Status - touted as the first “Facebook phone.” The idea was to add a convenient Facebook button on the front of an Android-based phone to easily share one’s mobile life quickly. We almost completely forgot about these phones, as they were essentially a competitive flop in a world of super-smart smartphones. Consumers didn’t exactly rush to pick these off the shelves. The rumor mill is turning out a new theoretical gem, and this time her name is Buffy.
Codename: Buffy (yes- just like the Vampire Slayer... or iPhone Slayer), is the newest project that’s said to be brewing in the Facebook laboratory, alongside HTC. The newest reports come with more than just a codename that creatively proclaims itself the iPhone killer. A phone on its own, self-sufficient platform, Buffy would allow Facebook to be a fully integrated part of the mobile experience. It is said that its apps would all be made with HTML5 (the same coding that has brought you barrel rolls on Google, and some of the most creative digital projects of late), which leads to a range of possibilities within the software. On Android and iOS phones, there are still limitations to how far Facebook may integrate itself. Sharing has certainly been made easy, but imagine being able to add someone’s Facebook name to your contacts just as easily as you could add a phone number on a night out.
However, Facebook’s alleged attempt to enter the mobile market still seems risky. Although the phone arguably has been years in the making, reports say the phone is still a long way from hitting the market - possibly as long as 18 months. With Blackberry, Android, and iPhone competing for market share, why would Facebook want to attempt to join the clutter? Maybe its feelings were hurt when apple chose Twitter as its social-network-of-choice for integration with the new 4S. Or just maybe Facebook really does have some groundbreaking mobile ideas. After all, they did create one product already that has revolutionized the way the world works. Can they do it again?
