Facebook to Release Their Own Smartphone (Maybe)

As far as I can find out on the InterWeb this has not been confirmed (or denied) by Facebook but over the last few weeks most of the technology sites have been buzzing about Facebook getting into the smartphone market. Depending what you read it seems Facebook have been employing ex-Apple and ex-Google people that worked on the smartphone projects at both of those organisations.

Other reports are saying that Facebook are talking to ‘manufacturers’ of smartphone components about buying components (e.g., screens, batteries, cameras, etc.).

If these reports are right then it could be that Facebook are rushing to design, develop, and release a Facebook smartphone before the Christmas buying season.

If they really are trying to get a smartphone to market by Christmas then one thing is for sure. They cannot possibly develop their own smartphone operating system in that time. Just could not be done. They could easily put together a smartphone in that time as all the components would be available. But a new operating system would take at least 18 months to design, code up, and test.

Or, maybe they have been working on a Facebook smartphone operating system in secret over the last 18 months? Not impossible—but very unlikely because it would have been very hard to keep it this secret for this long.

So if they are planning to release a Facebook smartphone then what operating system would they be looking at? Would the use Google’s Android smartphone operating system? Facebook and Google are not the best of friend's so maybe not. It is highly unlikely they would use Apple’s iOS because Apple just would not let them. So I can’t see that happening. Maybe they are talking to Microsoft about Microsoft’s Windows Phone operating system? Unlikely but not impossible. I could even see Microsoft paying them to use it, or at least providing it to Facebook at a very low cost.

Or they could use one of the lesser known smartphone operating systems like HP’s WebOS or Nokia’s MeeGo (see picture above). If they do then there will be four smartphone operating systems to consider if you are looking at buying a new smartphone at Christmas.