Facebook Home unveiled for Android, quashing Facebook Phone rumours

It isn’t a Facebook Phone, exactly, but for the time being, it looks like it’ll be the best Facebook experience available.

Social media giant Facebook has debuted Facebook Home, a series of apps designed to provide what Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg calls the best Facebook experience available. Starting April 12, Android users on compatible devices will be able to download Facebook Home from the Play store.

Zuckerberg and other Facebook representatives demonstrated running the set of apps on Android devices at its Menlo Park presentation. While the apps are integral to the success of Home, however, Zuckerberg emphasized that they’re simply there to help better connect people.

“Putting people first, and then apps, is one small but meaningful change with our relationship in technology,” said Zuckerberg.

The presentation led with Cover Feed, the new way people can interact with their News Feed on their Android device. When you turn on your device, Cover Feed immediately loads with the latest stories (at least the ones with visuals) in your stream. You can swipe from story to story, can double tap or press and hold to see the photo, and can comment directly on stories from the Cover Feed interface.

In Facebook Home, notifications now look more like a Twitter feed, showcasing the content and having a notable absence of logos and navigation. Like with Cover Feed, everything is controlled with swipes.

Chat is also at the forefront of the Facebook Home experience with an app called Chat Heads. You can send Facebook messages or SMS/text messages using the app, and when you get a reply, regardless of which app you’re in, you’ll see your Facebook friend’s face appear in the top right corner of your screen next to their message, floating in front of the app.

In order to keep on top of the technology and continue to provide users with an optimized experience, new Home versions will be released every month.

When it becomes available on April 12, Facebook Home will be compatible with three devices: HTC One X (and X+), Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy Note II, and soon after the Samsung Galaxy S4 and HTC One, once those devices become available. Zuckerberg says that more devices will eventually be added.

Facebook is also releasing the Facebook Home Program, enabling phone makers and carriers to develop products that work with Facebook Home, and improve integration with the social network. Because it’s designed to be ‘open’ as opposed to a closed operating system, both carriers and phone makers can develop custom software that allows for maximum integration with Facebook.

During the event, U.S. carrier unveiled the HTC First, which offers an optimized Facebook Home experience, with the family of applications already installed.

AT&T will be offering the HTC First, and Zuckerberg hinted at the device coming to two European carriers, too, but there was no mention of a preloaded Facebook Home phone coming to any Canadian carriers.

Keep checking back on The Right Click for more information on Facebook Home.