Zuckerberg unclear on iOS Facebook Home, says Android's openness allows unique experiences

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was non-committal on Thursday when asked if iOS users could expect to see Facebook Home showing up on their devices, saying instead that the openness of Google's Android platform made possible experiences "that you can't have anywhere else."

fbhome
Facebook's new Android-based launcher, Facebook Home


Speaking during the question-and-answer portion of the event for Facebook's new Android-based launcher, Zuckerberg appeared to give a non-answer regarding the possibility of Home appearing on Apple's mobile platform.

"We have a great relationship with Apple," Zuckerberg said, according to CNet. "Anything that happens with Apple is going to happen with partnership.""Because of Google's commitment to openness, you can have experiences on Android that you can't have anywhere else." - Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Continuing, Zuckerberg seemed to indicate that Facebook Home was built without any Google input.

"Google's Android is open, so we don't have to work with them."

Apple controls virtually every aspect of its iOS platform, and iOS device users must "jailbreak" their devices in order to make anything more than superficial alterations to its design and functionality. Apple's platform, also, doesn't allow for many of the interface options available from the wide array of Android launcher developers, including those featured in Facebook Home.

Android's mutability, Zuckerbeg said earlier in the event, the main reason the Facebook Home experience is possible on the platform.

"The great thing about Android is that it's so open," Zuckerberg said shortly after unveiling Home. "Because of Google's commitment to openness, you can have experiences on Android that you can't have anywhere else."

The run-up to Thursday's event began with a somewhat cryptic invitation sent out by Facebook last week, inviting recipients to "come see our new home on Android." Initial speculation around the event held that it could signal that the social network was finally making a long-rumored move into providing its own mobile platform. Subsequent reports revealed the new Android launcher interface and, later, the HTC First hardware, putting rumors of an Android fork and new mobile platform to rest.

no forking way


Zuckerberg acknowledged those rumors in the midst of Thursday's presentation, throwing up a graphic on the screen showing that Facebook wouldn't be making its own OS or forking Android.

"We're not building a phone, and we're not building an operating system," he proclaimed, reiterating previous statements on Facebook's mobile plans. "A great phone might sell 10 or 20 million units. Our user base is at about a billion. Even if we made a great phone, we'd only be serving one or two percent of our base."

Even without a new platform, the move could serve to heighten the competition between Google and Facebook, who are locked in battle over Internet user mindshare and advertising dollars. Facebook Home will keep users going through Facebook first, and it could be tweaked to, for instance, route users' search inquiries through Facebook partner Microsoft's Bing search engine.

Zuckerberg was, however, open to the idea of Google's competing social network, Google+, integrating with Facebook Home. That just won't be happening in the very near future, though.

"[Facebook Home] will be open," Zuckerberg said, "and over time we'd love to add more content from competing social services, but it won't happen at launch."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 69
    monstrositymonstrosity Posts: 2,234member
    I can answer this.... No.

    There's no way in hell Apple would allow them access to the home screen.
  • Reply 2 of 69
    I'm sure. Who wouldn't want both Google and Facebook spying on everything you do!
  • Reply 3 of 69
    jollypauljollypaul Posts: 328member


    Does that graphic mean "stick a fork in it, it's done" ?

  • Reply 4 of 69
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Translation.. "Android allows us to preinstall bloatware and the unique experience is us knowing what you are doing. That's not possible with iOS."
  • Reply 5 of 69
    applesauce007applesauce007 Posts: 1,698member
    iOS does not need ths, this is not how people work. Facebook may work like that but the Facebook integration in iOS is better.
  • Reply 6 of 69
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member
    nasserae wrote: »
    Translation.. "Android allows us to preinstall bloatware and the unique experience is us knowing what you are doing. That's not possible with iOS."

    Translation for your translation: I only know how to see things from one perspective - the ignorant one.
  • Reply 7 of 69
    c_profc_prof Posts: 3member
    MSNBC Finance channel has already taken a poll about this Facebook phone. Eighty-two percent of those polled said no way would they purchase such a phone. I'm with them.
  • Reply 8 of 69
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member
    iOS does not meet ths, this is not how people work. Facebook may work like that but the Facebook integration in iOS is better.

    It all depends on what "better" means.
  • Reply 9 of 69
    Facebook is starting to seem like AOLwas back in the 90s- an Internet portal
  • Reply 10 of 69
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member

    Quote:



    Even without a new platform, the move could serve to heighten the competition between Google and Facebook, who are locked in battle over Internet user mindshare and advertising dollars. Facebook Home will keep users going through Facebook first, and it could be tweaked to, for instance, route users' search inquiries through Facebook partner Microsoft's Bing search engine.

     


     Some of you may be too young to remember this, but Google and Facebook remind me of the old Burma Shave Roadside signs. Advertiser use to battle over roadside real estate and getting people to view their billboard then Burma-shave came out with their revolutionary little road side signs with jiggles that everyone use to look for.


     


  • Reply 12 of 69
    ankleskaterankleskater Posts: 1,287member
    c_prof wrote: »
    MSNBC Finance channel has already taken a poll about this Facebook phone. Eighty-two percent of those polled said no way would they purchase such a phone. I'm with them.

    That is irrelevant. Soon, every Android phone would be "such a phone". The better question/survey would be how many Android users would want Chatheads. I think the number will not be small.
  • Reply 13 of 69
    jason98jason98 Posts: 768member
    The day Apple puts facebook in the home page (or even slight hint of it) is going to be last day I upgrade iOS or buy a new iPhone/iPad.
  • Reply 13 of 69
    jason98jason98 Posts: 768member
    -deleted
  • Reply 15 of 69
    Zuckerberg went so far as to say that they weren't creating an OS or forking Android yet used those points as his excuse for not deploying on iOS. Facebook already has a choice seat at Apple's dinner table, they have far more freedom with iOS than most others, so the reason Facebook Home is going to Android first (and maybe only) is purely a political one.

    Home is clearly for the Facebook obsessed. It's not greater enough than the Facebook app to make me want to get a new phone. If Zuck said it was coming to iOS but only iPhone 5S users can get it, I still wouldn't get a new phone just for it. I said this right after the keynote and I'll say it again, like millions upon millions of others, Facebook is part of my world... but it isn't "my whole world".
  • Reply 17 of 69
    airbubbleairbubble Posts: 105member
    So what this really means is that "FB" FaceBook want's to control the way
    you view your content on the phone!
    Then ultimately control the way you access the apps on your phone?
  • Reply 18 of 69
    tzeshantzeshan Posts: 2,351member


    FB is going to hurt Google. 

  • Reply 19 of 69
    monstrositymonstrosity Posts: 2,234member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AirBubble View Post



    So what this really means is that "FB" FaceBook want's to control the way

    you view your content on the phone!

    Then ultimately control the way you access the apps on your phone?


    Yup, you got it. This could really piss Google off :) and for that I am happy.

  • Reply 20 of 69
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AirBubble View Post



    So what this really means is that "FB" FaceBook want's to control the way

    you view your content on the phone!

    Then ultimately control the way you access the apps on your phone?


    Interesting point and They could bastardized Android to the point that is cuts Google out, hey it open and free other companies are few to make it do what they want. 

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