Lots of rumors have been flying around about the Facebook event this Thursday, April 4th; we have been told we will see the new home for Facebook on Android is, but stuff just got real with the image above that was leaked by way of @evleaks.
From the photo we see the design of the phone that looks to be called HTC First. The image looks like a splash page you typically see when a phone boots up. On previous HTC phones this is where the name of the phone is displayed and is why we agree with our source that this could in fact be the name of the official Facebook phone’s name. The next thing we notice is the button layout. On the bottom left we have a back button, we’re guessing the middle button is the home button, and the button on the right should be some sort of menu/multi-tasking button. We also see a power button on the top right and the volume rocker on the left side of the phone. In the same general area as the volume rocker you will notice the front facing camera.
Facebook won’t be an app on your homescreen… IT WILL BE YOUR HOMESCREEN!
The latest rumors suggest this phone will run Android 4.1.2, but will not sport the traditional user interface found on HTC phones, the new look will be focused on Facebook. Facebook won’t be an app on your homescreen… it will be your homescreen, much like the new look of HTC Sense 5 which introduces a service HTC calls BlinkFeed. We don’t know if the interface can be turned off, but the key here is that Facebook wants to be the center of your lifestyle and wants to engage with you from the get go and not from the app tray or an icon on one of your many homescreen tiles waiting to be launched.
The excitement primarily around the HTC First is the software so don’t expect this device to be the next flagship phone. The hardware specs are in the middle range which means that it should be very affordable for all that are looking to get a smartphone in their pocket or for many that think they need a smartphone, but all they want to do is check their Facebook every breaking minute.
One interesting thing Android Police found when they evaluated a system dump of the HTC First over the weekend was that this Facebook software seems to be ready to run on other phones like a launcher so we may see a variation pop up in the Google Play market someday soon. For now, we know for sure that Facebook has partnered with HTC exclusively to build on a standard piece of hardware during development. The phone specs were also detailed by AP:
- Dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor
- 1 GB of RAM
- 16 GB of storage
- 4.3″ 720p display
- 5 MP rear cam & 1.6 front cam
Some readers have expressed dislike for the button layout on the HTC One so what’s your opinion on the layout on the HTC First? Also, what are your thoughts of the name? I think it sounds like a troller who always comments, “First!” on any post they can make the first comment on.
Source: @evleaks via Engadget, AndroidPolice, TheVerge
