According to reports by DigiTimes, HTC has chosen to reinforce its connection with Facebook, instead of Google, and will manufacture a Facebook smartphone. DigiTimes thinks that HTC will introduce the Facebook-branded phone to the market in the quarter three of this year. DigiTimes said that the decision was due to the fact that Google has more rigid connection with Samsung than with HTC. Google chose HTC to produced the first Nexus smartphone, called Nexus One. However, Google chose Samsung to produce the next two Nexus phones, namely Nexus S and Galaxy Nexus, and it is believed that the fourth Nexus phone will also be produced by Samsung.
Because of these, HTC feels it has to have a different partner for it to stand out in the smartphone market. The latest Android-based device by HTC is said to have a platform for Facebook that will allow users to do all the functions of the social networking site. However, many think that the Facebook phone is a foolish idea and the following are the reasons.
First, INQ, a British company, sold dedicated Facebook phones for a number of years but they never became popular. Now, INQ is approximately obsolete.
Second, HTC has already introduced two Facebook-dedicated phones last February 2011, the ChaChaCha and the Salsa. Unfortunately, the United States never got a hold of the Salsa. Although the AT&T sold the ChaChaCha by calling it the HTC Status but it was also not profitable for both HTC and AT&T.
Third, the incorporation of Facebook with Android and iOS causes the Facebook-focused phone very doubtful. Since Facebook has adapted to the top two operating systems, a Facebook-focused smartphone might not be greatly needed and thus have few potential buyers. The majority of smartphone users need their devices to be able to do a lot of tasks and not just a single task.
Although the concept of a Facebook-dedicated phone is not entirely disadvantageous, such dedicated gadgets have all failed and HTC is well aware of it based on experience.
