# The Facebook Phone: It’s Finally Real & Its Name Is Buffy (HTC chosen over Samsung)



## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2011)

> After years of considering how to best get into the phone business, Facebook has tapped Taiwanese cellphone maker HTC to build a smartphone that has the social network integrated at the core of its being.
> 
> Code-named “Buffy,” after the television vampire slayer, the phone is planned to run on a modified version of Android that Facebook has tweaked heavily to deeply integrate its services, as well as to support HTML5 as a platform for applications, according to sources familiar with the project.
> 
> Facebook only recently chose HTC, after also considering at least one other potential hardware partner — Korea’s Samsung. That means the products themselves are still a ways from hitting the market, potentially as long as 12 to 18 months.



Been wondering when FB would throw it's hat in the ring. Not entirely sure I see the value in this but reckon there's probably a few teenagers/Facebook fanatics it might appeal...


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

I'd rather stick drawing pins under my fingernails.

If it ever happens, it will be a huge flop of course. "Might happen in 12-18 months" basically means "imaginary" though.


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> I'd rather stick drawing pins under my fingernails.
> 
> If it ever happens, it will be a huge flop of course.



Why will it be a huge flop?


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

Why would anyone buy one, let alone enough people to make it worth the investment? And that includes Facebook addicts.


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Why would anyone buy one, let alone enough people to make it worth the investment? And that includes Facebook addicts.



Why wouldn't they if it's made by a successful phone maker?


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## grit (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Why would anyone buy one, let alone enough people to make it worth the investment? And that includes Facebook addicts.



Yeah I mean the site only has half a billion users....


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Why wouldn't they if it's made by a successful phone maker?


"Why wouldn't they?" doesn't sell anything. Have a think about what it means to try to sell a phone specifically targeted for a single use.


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

grit said:


> Yeah I mean the site only has half a billion users....


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## grit (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


>



Love it! you are not interested so its not possible that any of those 500 million users could be.


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> "Why wouldn't they?" doesn't sell anything. Have a think about what it means to try to sell a phone specifically targeted for a single use.



Well they said in the article they want to make the phone social so perhaps they're thinking a bit more than making a phone to update your status. I still can't see why this wouldn't be a success, it's Facebook, it's HTC, there's nigh on a billion Facebook users if only 10% bought it this would be a huge deal.


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

You guys should work for tech blogs.

That's actually not sarcastic either, they love that sort of thing.


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2011)

grit said:


> Love it! you are not interested so its not possible that any of those 500 million users could be.



FM is usually decent when it comes to tech but get the feeling he's suffering from the old 'I can't see the value therefore this has no value' mindset here.


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> You guys should work for tech blogs.
> 
> That's actually not sarcastic either, they love that sort of thing.


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## grit (Nov 21, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> FM is usually decent when it comes to tech but get the feeling he's suffering from the old 'I can't see the value therefore this has no value' mindset here.


 Thats exactly it, I'd have no fucking interest, but I know plenty that on branding alone would buy it.


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

It's academic anyway, as it won't happen.

It's pretty obvious what this is a part of, of course - FB's increasingly hubristic attempts to garden-wall (e.g. Anil Dash) which are going to either be reduced or give them huge trouble in the next, oh, year I would say.


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## grit (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> It's academic anyway, as it won't happen.
> 
> It's pretty obvious what this is a part of, of course - FB's increasingly hubristic attempts to garden-wall (e.g. Anil Dash) which are going to either be reduced or give them huge trouble in the next, oh, year I would say.



Why? its been working pretty well for them so far, fucking hell there is even a facebook like button at the bottom of this page.


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> It's academic anyway, as it won't happen.
> 
> It's pretty obvious what this is a part of, of course - FB's increasingly hubristic attempts to garden-wall (e.g. Anil Dash) which are going to either be reduced or give them huge trouble in the next, oh, year I would say.



Well, you've made your point very clear, I agree they may be risking a great deal with their garden wall strategy but don't see that will harm them when it comes to phones.


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

The short version is "because they are reaching the point where they are increasingly emphasising restricting communication with the rest of the net, rather than providing added services to encourage people to stay in".


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> The short version is "because they are reaching the point where they are increasingly emphasising restricting communication with the rest of the net, rather than providing added services to encourage people to stay in".



That never worked before as a strategy then.


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## grit (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> The short version is "because they are reaching the point where they are increasingly emphasising restricting communication with the rest of the net, rather than providing added services to encourage people to stay in".



Yup, guarding their platform same as anyone else, even with all the mouth about privacy and blah blah blah, still probably the biggest site on the set.


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

grit said:


> Yup, guarding their platform same as anyone else, even with all the mouth about privacy and blah blah blah, still probably the biggest site on the set.


Clearly that means it always will be.


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## wemakeyousoundb (Nov 21, 2011)

why? ffs


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## grit (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Clearly that means it always will be.



yawn, lame even by your low standards.


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## Kanda (Nov 21, 2011)

Making the phone social... phones USED to be social!! When you used to speak to people!!


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## Badgers (Nov 21, 2011)

Kanda said:
			
		

> Making the phone social... phones USED to be social!! When you used to speak to people!!



You never call me


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

grit said:


> yawn, lame even by your low standards.


Oh come _on_. That's _never_ going to wind me up.


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## grit (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> Oh come _on_. That's _never_ going to wind me up.



It was an expression of disappointment not an attempt to antagonise you.


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## TruXta (Nov 21, 2011)

I can see this hardware happening in some form or other, but the chances of it being a big hit are pretty small if you ask me. Guess I'm with Fridge on this one.


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## FridgeMagnet (Nov 21, 2011)

grit said:


> It was an expression of disappointment not an attempt to antagonise you.


You've let me down, you've let the board down, but most of all, you've let _yourself_ down.


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## Kanda (Nov 21, 2011)

Badgers said:


> You never call me



Sorry hun...


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## Badgers (Nov 21, 2011)

Kanda said:
			
		

> Sorry hun...



I forgive you x


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## grit (Nov 21, 2011)

FridgeMagnet said:


> You've let me down, you've let the board down, but most of all, you've let _yourself_ down.



business as usual then


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## editor (Nov 21, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Why wouldn't they if it's made by a successful phone maker?


There's already been a couple of Facebook focused phones and they've hardly set the world on fire.


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## grit (Nov 22, 2011)

There is an interesting thread on hacker news http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3262428 between a facebook developer and posters discussing the changes mentioned in FM's link on page 1


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## Kid_Eternity (Nov 22, 2011)

Seems to me this is more FB making a phone rather than some company working closely with FB on a phone. It's success will rest partly on how much backing they're giving it.


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## editor (Nov 22, 2011)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Seems to me this is more FB making a phone rather than some company working closely with FB on a phone.


Except HTC are making it and it's going to run a tweaked version of Android.

If it even exists, of course.


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## editor (Nov 30, 2011)

Here it is!


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