HTC First
Hands-On: HTC First
The HTC First is an Android smartphone dedicated to Facebook Home. Here is a really quick look at the hardware.
Hands-On: Facebook Home
Facebook Home is a new user interface overlay for Android devices that "prioritizes people, not apps." Phone Scoop takes it for a spin.
HTC Announces the HTC First, a Facebook-Centric Phone
HTC today announced the HTC First, a new phone that takes advantage of the new Facebook Home user interface. It runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but has Facebook Home preloaded as the user interface. Facebook Home is Faecbook's new overlay that puts people, not apps, first. The device features a 4.3-inch 1280 x 720p display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 dual-core processor, and a 5-megapixel camera with 1080p HD video capture and flash. Instagram will also be preloaded on the HTC First. The HTC First will ship in four colors and will be available from AT&T with support for its LTE 4G network. It will be available April 12 for $99.99 with a new contract. Preorders begin today.
Facebook Announces Facebook Home for Android
Facebook today announced a new push into the mobile space with new Android-based software that exists as its own user interface overlay. The UI overlay is called Facebook Home, and can be used to replace the home screen of select Android smartphones. The Facebook Home screen makes people a priority - not apps. It serves as the lock screen and the home screen, can be used to replace the camera app and other system-level tools/apps and bring them into the Facecbook Home app. Notifications, for example, are based on contacts, not apps. Facebook Home's Chat Heads feature, which is a new messaging tool, can be used on top of other running apps. For example, text messages and Facebook messages use the same user interface. Chat Heads doesn't interrupt them the current apps, but it will offer floating images of a contact's head with a link to their incoming message. That message can then be expanded and responded to, and then flicked off the screen to return to the current app. Facebook Home has its own app drawer for connected apps, and makes it easy to always post a photo or status update. Facebook Home requires both the latest version of the main Facebook app as well as the Facebook Messenger application. Only then can it be downloaded and installed from the Google Play Store. It serves as a launcher, and can replace the stock launcher that comes with many Android phones (and tablets). Facebook Home will first be available to the HTC One X, One X+, and One, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S III, Note II and S4. Facebook Home will be available on more devices in the coming months.
