While the iPhone might be a popular choice for wealthy westerners, Android is the most popular mobile platform globally by a long way.
That’s why Facebook’s chief product officer is forcing an unspecified number of his staff to abandon iOS for Android.
Speaking during a press briefing, Chris Cox confirmed his plans to get more Facebook employees using Google’s mobile operating system.
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It might seem like a strange move, but Cox is actually trying to help his staff have a better understanding of Facebook’s user-base.
After all, 82.8% of smartphones run Android compared to the 13.9% powered by iOS, as revealed by IDC data for Q2 2015.
According to Cox, he wants a healthy chunk of his staff to use Android “so that they can be reporting bugs and living in the same experience that most Facebook users experience today”.
Related: Best Android Smartphones 2015
Despite sounding a bit wacky, it’s not the first time Facebook has tried to make its workforce more in sync with its global market.
Just last month, the company revealed a new in-house initiative called ‘2G Tuesdays’.
Every Tuesday, Facebook will throttle the internet speeds of its employees for exactly one hour.
The idea is that developers will get a better understanding of how people in third-world countries – where network infrastructure isn’t as nippy – experience Facebook.
Do you think Facebook should focus more efforts on Android? Let us know in the comments.
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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.
