HTC took the stage at Facebook’s Android media event on Thursday to reveal the first handset to be optimised for the social network’s brand new Facebook Home suite of apps.
During the event Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed a brand new custom user interface and app launcher for for Android smartphones, which will be available from the Google Play Store on April 12th, for users of certain handsets.
The HTC First device, as the name suggests, is the first device to boast this new experience out of the box.
Specs are thin on the ground, as is international availability, but it will also launch in the US on April 12th on the AT&T Network for $99 (£60) on a two-year contract.
Earlier rumours had suggested that the mid-range device will boast a 4.3-inch screen, Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean, a dual-core processor, five-megapixel camera and 1GB of RAM
The 4G LTE enabled handset will bring the attractive and intriguing Coverfeed UI, which replaces the home screen on Android phones with people-focused rather than app-focused updates, as well as the new Chatheads messaging app that allows users to reply to messages without interrupting other activities too much.
Earlier rumours had suggested the Facebook Home service would initially be confined to a single Facebook Phone, manufactured by HTC, but the social network has broader ideas for its new UI and wants to bring Facebook Home to a wide range of smartphones in tablets.
With that in mind HTC’s appearance at the event was relegated to the undercard, rather than the main event status touted in the build up to the launch, but the company’s CEO Peter Chou still showed up to tout the launch, promising a “unique experience.”
We’ll let you know when details of a UK launch are confirmed.
Has the HTC First piqued your interested? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
