Less than 24 hours before the social network showcases its ‘new home on Android‘, images purportedly showing the new Facebook Home UI have leaked online.
9to5 Google has obtained a number of screenshots, which it claims shows off the new Facebook-themed version of Android, which the company’s mobile engineers have reportedly been developing.
The alleged screenshots show deeper Facebook integration within the Android menus, as well as the opportunity to post status updates, photos and location check-ins without entering the standalone Facebook app or mobile website.
If the screenshots are genuine, it also looks as if the UI will show full-screen images uploaded by users’ friends, within the Lock Screen, while a new lock screen notification system also appears to be in play.
The report says: “From the imagery we’ve seen, Facebook Home incorporates a minimal aesthetic with a lot of focus on full-screen photography. As expected, there are hooks to the primary Facebook functions available from most menus, obviating the need to actually navigate to the dedicated app or site in many instances. It looks clean, well thought out, and will probably appeal to social networking aficionados with an appreciation for design—assuming the marketing campaign can convey the added value.”
The first device to run the Facebook Home launcher is also likely to be unveiled at tomorrow’s event.
All speculation points to it being a mid-range device running Android Jelly Bean 4.1 and manufactured by HTC. Reports earlier on Wednesday claimed it would be called the HTC First, which had previously been codenamed Myst.
The event kicks off at 6pm UK time on Thursday. We’ll bring you word of the official announcement, as well as potential release dates as soon as it becomes available.
What do you think? Do the images look like the real deal? Is a Facebook-centric version of Android something you’d be interested in? Will we see it come to other handsets in the future? Let us know in the comments section below.
Via The Verge
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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.