HTC phone to reportedly feature dedicated Facebook button

By Aemon Malone February 11, 2011

It’s not quite the long-rumored Facebook phone, but HTC is reportedly working on developing a phone that features deep integration with the social network, according to The Financial Times. There’s even a button that when pushed will access users’ Facebook accounts. According to the report, HTC may choose to unveil the device at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) being held next week in Barcelona, Spain.

The news comes as handset developers are showing increased interest in basing devices on the world’s most popular social network. Earlier this week, INQ unveiled the Cloud Touch and Cloud Q, two Facebook-optimized smartphones running on Android. Both phones feature elements of Facebook integrated directly into the home screen.

For the moment, details about HTC’s “Facebook phone” are shaky at best. It’s not clear if the button will be incorporated into the touchscreen or will be a separate physical button. It’s suspected that the smartphone will be sporting Google’s Android OS. We’ll likely find out more next week at MWC where HTC is also expected to unveil the 7-inch Flyer tablet running on Android 2.3.

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