The bad blood between Facebook and Google may go deeper than anyone has really realized to date. The spat became public earlier this year when Facebook banned Google’s Friend Connect, theoretically over security issues (but really over competitive issues).
The source of the feud: Facebook chose Microsoft as their ad partner and investor a year ago; Google had already put their money behind MySpace. But beyond that, Google was also quick to compete with Facebook platform by launching Open Social with most of Facebook’s competitors, cementing the ill-will.
Now Facebook may be shooting itself in the foot to spite its face (or however the saying goes) by ignoring the new Android platform. From what we hear, Facebook has dedicated exactly zero resources to creating a version of the service for Android, and has no plans to launch anything at all. That’s despite the fact that the company has robust iPhone and RIM applications (the iPhone app was developed internally by Joe Hewitt, the RIM app was built by RIM with Facebook’s help). Meanwhile, MySpace has already released an Android version of their service.
So why no Andoid app? The official reason is that Facebook is looking to others to develop these applications. Joe Hewitt pushed the iPhone app internally, a spokesperson says, and RIM built the app themselves (but Facebook lent engineers). Google or third parties are free to use the Facebook API to build apps using Facebook services, the spokesperson said.
But the off record discussions I’m having with others at Facebook tell a different story. One source derisively called Android “vaporware” (it looks pretty real to me). Another source at Facebook says “Android sucks, it doesn’t matter.”
Sounds like they’ve reached their decision.
Update: See GigaOm’s post on this as well.
I smell opportunity..
What’s to stop anyone just pointing any mobile device here?
http://iphone.facebook.com/
which is nicely enough formatted for any small-screen really.
very true. I belive both iphone and G1 have 480 x 320 pixels.
facebook lost is myspace gained.
Not really. An Android/Facebook app could have a lot of potential to start doing real time social networking.
Facebook is THE social network. MySpace of course has social features, but there’s really no relationship logic, nor it has that loyalty factor that facebook has.
Facebook is the ebay of social networking, I’ve found people in there I didn’t even think of for the last 15 years, myspace… not so much.
As Smuit Gupta put it, “I smell opportunity”
I meant real time/location based/social networking
sounds like you can’t cite your source for the whole “it sucks, it doesn’t matter” comment.
that sounds like fanboy bullshit to me, babe.
http://gizmodo....t-doesnt-matter
You’re welcome.
Mike, no one in world is doing that (holding breath) ..sane or insane..
Get a better writer for stories you have..
This only makes Facebook look petty. Eventually they will have to work with Google, they can stay away as long as they can but they are only delaying the inevitable.
i’m sure the majority of every purchaser of the G1 is on facebook… the customer’s always right. right?
They don’t need to develop an app when motorola has about 350 people working on a facebook phone
The facebook webapp that was created for the iphone works great in Android and doesn’t even require an install. http://iphone.facebook.com
I doubt your article holds much truth, at the end of the day if andriod takes off I am sure that we will see a facebook andriod app that is developed and supported by Facebook. At the end of the day facebook will have to come to the customers requests….
I have a G1 and really want a Facebook app…. *sniff
http://iphone.facebook.com
hope they gonna get along with each other!
iPhone is THE platform and Facebook is THE social network.
No need to develop for Android. Have google engineers do it if they want it so bad.
- Scott from http://scottdig.com
Just another apple fanboy who loves his iphone. Scott, why don’t you dump your fiancé and marry your iphone if you love it so much. Not everyone has an iphone, and it only makes sense that Facebook users would want the best possible app for their platform. Get over youself.
Facebook is going downhill like the iPhone…
Can’t wait for OS 3.0 for iPhone to come out and charge customers for every download LOL HAHAHAHA…. JUST CANT WAIT!
See how much you love your phone then… hahahaha
COME ON APPLE… RELEASE OS 3.0 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
If you really knew how much resources Facebook had dedicated to Mobile and their priorities, it is no surprise that Facebook would not be developing for Andriod. As you correctly wrote, RIM developed the Facebook application with Facebook’s help. There is no conspiracy theory, but it makes for a nice blog post.
And as some one has noted, the Safari/ iPhone web based Facebook app works perfectly fine on HTC / T-Mobile G1 webkit based browser.
Heh. The saying is “cutting off your nose to spite your face”.
Personally, I think your version is great though.
This HTC phone is awesome. Coool.
Android platform needs to be taken seriously. Mass OS.
Integration of facebook with the above two would prove usefull but no hurry and even otherwise something can be worked out.
why all this talk about apps? i heard some one say the browser is the new os.
That’s a good point, the only reason OS matters is because Apple decided it did for itunes so they can sell more apps/songs/videos. The best part of the iphone (aside from the amazing touch screen functionality) is the mobile browser, which chrome, or whatever they’re calling it on android, is way better than safari.
facebook will officially or unofficially will release app for android,
but they are waiting for the phone to gain critical mass,
and to clean some bugs like:
http://digg.com...unar_lander_bug
Wonderful and helpful here.Will have one sooner or later.
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All this talk about Android, there still isn’t an app worth a crap for FB for all those that are still stuck on winblows mobile. Obviously it’s not the mass play toy like the iphone and android, but some of us use it for a lot of web work too.
if FB cared, and since they already have this relationship with Microsoft, you’d think they’d work on that. If RIM has an app then there must be a desire for business users to have one. MS ought to get off their butts and get working.
wonder how long it’s gonna take to put all that facebook things into a phone app. or rather use the built-in browser for that
Android may have finally been delivered but it’s far from a must-do platform. It’s riding high on the Google halo effect but it’s got a very very long way to go to catch up to RIM or the iPhone (and even those are still relatively smaller audiences by internet standards).
garbage article. seriously.
scarabic: i dumped my iphone for droid. you have no idea until you use it. iphone is a piece …
I don’t mean to say that Android sucks and needs to get better before it will be equivalent to the iPhone. I just mean that they need to show big adoption numbers.
Ben Ling being hired away from Google by Facebook and now being hired away by Google again is probably not helping. Maybe he was a Google spy!
In any case, some resourceful Android developer will knock out an app that uses the Facebook API and give users the features they need.
That’s so sad. I just started a facebook group called “Android Facebook App” lets see if Facebook takes notice when we get thousands to join the group.
After facebook cleaned up beacon after the privacy scandal I felt they finally matured as a company and recognized the golden mantra of running a successful enterprise: that your business model should always be aligned with your customer’s interests, (even if it means a financial loss in the short term). if this rumor is true, i’m sad to see facebook take a step backward.
Hi guys,
Keep reading
http://www.iboozi.com
Thanks to iPhone these new phones got better, I’m not saying the iPhone is better, it needs a lot more improvement which is what these new phones are doing.
This is so unprofessional. How come they can ignore android. I totally agree with one of the comments above, “facebook’s lost, myspace’s gain!”
The facebook app and the facebook ipage are not the same thing. Iphone facebook let’s you do some things, but it doesn’t let you add pictures and other stuff the app does.
2 completely different things people. Facebook app for iphone is full featured, same as you are sitting at your computer. Let’s you instantly add pics you just took with your phone, etc…
The ifacebook page does not let you upload anything.
Apples to oranges.
http://iphone.facebook.com works fine in G1 browser, it is not 100% necessary to have an app for everything. The app idea is just a smart way to bring in a revenue and get programmers to write apps. Facebook is viewed fine via the browser.
Why do we need apps and the browser can’t act as an app? The customers said so! iPhone provided apps through the browser, but people complained that it wasn’t enough. Also as nice as iphone.facebook.com is, it is not nearly as practical as the app. The app includes stuff like adding photos from the phone with tagging and captions, commenting on status updates etc, chat and a generally more practical app than the web version.
For now, iphone.facebook.com has bugs when run in Android’s browser–inability to select a user when composing a message (big issue), formatting issues, and more. So we decided to improve the web app, see http://nextmobileweb.com/fbook . In addition, we added some really cool things that no web app can do:
* push-like notification of new messages (little ‘f’ shows up at the top of your screen & phone vibrates, no matter what app you’re using). It’s cool if you use Facebook messages like email.
* photo upload
* “send sms” links
* more to come…
Android is a very cool platform that will do well with time. Notifications are not possible on the iPhone for now. Try the app if you have a G1 and let us know what you think.
Thanks,
Ajay
Next Mobile Web
android is cool
What happened to your Fbook app?
Hi! We have launched a beta of the first real native facebook app – BABBLER.
Find it on Android Market – free to download.
Or see it here: http://www.cyrk...414153141398519
Also check our page on Facebook: http://www.face...iewas=575578907
Just curious is there a facebook app that will allow you to reply real time to chatting in facebook. I have a G1 phone and i have an Apple ITouch. Thanx