By Olubunmi Adeniyi
Lagos. April 11, 2013: Facebook says the new mobile experience opened for Android Smartphones with the unveiling of Home open new vista to turn them into a great and living social phone.
With its new ‘Home’ on Android gadgets, Facebook aims to put its social network at the centre of people’s mobile experiences.
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The idea behind the software is to bring Facebook content right to the home screen, rather than requiring users to check apps, the company says.
According to Facebook, “we designed Home to be the next version of Facebook. But we also wanted to do something more. We wanted to re-imagine the way we all use computing devices to make us more connected and bring us closer to the people we care about.”
The company notes that the Home features a cover feed that replaces the lock screen and the home screen of the phone, enabling users to see and access more stories and double tap to “like” content they see.
The cover feed sends users a notification when something happens on Facebook that is directed towards them, such as a friend posting on their Facebook timeline, the company says.
“It’s a window into what’s happening with your friends – friends finishing a bike race, your family sharing a meal or an article about your favorite sports team. These are the beautiful, immersive experiences that you get through Home,” says Facebook.
A chat feature tagged Chat Heads allows for the use of other apps while chatting via Facebook Home, by displaying a head shot of the friend in question when a message arrives. SMS is also integrated into the feature.
“Home will be available as a free download from the Google Play Store starting April 12, will initially work on the HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III and Samsung Galaxy Note II. Home will also work on the forthcoming HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, and on more devices in the coming months”, the company says.
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