Facebook Home is one of the newest innovations to hit the smartphone market. Using Android's open-door policy, this new application replaces the existing user interface on Android phones with a new interface that focuses on social networks, as opposed to applications. Because the new app is compatible only with Android products, iPhone users aren't able to utilize it. However, some iPhone users still proclaim their devices to be superior. To help consumers form an opinion, a detailed comparison of Android phones equipped with Facebook's new app to the well-respected iPhone 5 is included below.
Comparable Devices
Although Facebook Home utilizes the Android operating system, it is not compatible with all Android products. Currently, the only devices that can tolerate this new app are a select few from HTC and Samsung. One such phone is the HTC First, which is the first to come preloaded with the software. For the purposes of comparison, consider the HTC First as the original "Facebook Phone". See what other phones are compatible with Facebook Home here.
Hardware
When compared to the iPhone, the HTC First's hardware is lacking. The storage is more limited, the camera isn't as strong, and the speed of the phone is slower. The core operating system of the HTC First is more likely to experience delays, and some lag is also present within individual apps. That being said, Facebook Home seems to function very well in conjunction with this hardware.
User Interface
The user interface on the Facebook phone is very different from the user interface on the iPhone. Although Facebook Home isn't actually a different operating system, it will feel like one for most users. After turning the device on for the first time, users log on with their Google and Facebook credentials. On every subsequent start-up, images pulled from the user's Facebook friends will rotate constantly across the screen. Users can also view recent status updates on this screen.
Users can scroll through all of these initial images and messages without even unlocking the phone, and users can "like" these displays by simply double-tapping the screen. Comments can also be posted directly from the home page.
As for the iPhone's user interface, it is much more similar to the original Android OS. The interface is centered on applications, many of which can be accessed directly from the home screen. To view Facebook, users must install and click on the Facebook application, or they must visit Facebook via the phone's internet browser.
Summing Up
These two phones are very different, but neither is overtly superior to the other. When choosing the ideal phone, users must consider the features that are most important to them. Users who are heavily engaged with social media and are constantly logging on to Facebook during the day may prefer the Facebook phone, whereas users who aren't as addicted to social media may prefer the more classic, application-based approach of the iPhone.
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