Rumors had been spreading like bushfire following the invite by Facebook for an event in which they gave very scanty details about what they would be launching. Many said that Facebook was set to launch their Facebook phone if the leaked images were true. However, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has repeatedly denied working on any sort of a Facebook phone. In a press conference Thursday, Zuckerberg reiterated that strategy, saying even a “great phone” could likely only sell up to 20 million units, reaching just 2% of the company’s 1 billion active users.
And true to that, they did not deliver a phone in the event but rather Facebook worked closely with HTC to deliver the HTC First, a mid-range smartphone. While it is not the most exciting device, it embodies the idea that Facebook Home isn’t intended to be cutting-edge technology for early adopters, but something far more universal.
The HTC First is, of course, the “first” phone to launch with Facebook Home built-in as its core skin. The device looks hardy that it can probably be able to bounce around in your bag without taking much damage. It’s launching on April 12 for $99.99, but is available for pre-order today. The device has a 4.3-inch display, a mid-range dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, and runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
The First has a soft-touch rubber design and smooth clean edges, and at 4.3 inches feels almost twee when compared to the current HTC One or Samsung Galaxy S4 flagship smartphones. It’s about the size of an iPhone 3GS, but with curved glass on the sides and a front-facing camera in its corner like on a Nokia N9.
The key specifications include
TYPE; Smartphone
OPERATING SYSTEM Android (Jelly Bean [4.1])
SCREEN SIZE 4.3 inches
CAMERA 5 megapixels
DIMENSIONS 4.96 x 2.56 in
RELEASED 2013-04-12
