Is Facebook Home Feature Really A Flop?

This news may seem too soon to determine to some while yet not surprising to others. The HTC Facebook Home phone (a.k.a. “First”) just came out about a month ago and has already been called a flop. So what is the real truth?

Current Sales Report

As of May 8, 2013 the sale of the first phone with the Android Facebook Home app already dropped from $99 to 99 cents. AT&T stores have a hard time getting rid of this device, and some stores even report no sales.

Why such a loss on the Facebook Home Device?

Besides the obvious reason that the phones are not selling well--if even at all--this app in general just did not end up being as useful as anticipated. Maybe it was the annoying ads during major Final Four sporting events that did it, or perhaps it could be the fact that an endless number of FB apps already exist.

Either way, it is highly unusual for such a reputable company to produce something that really does not go over well on sales launch day. Still, this is proof that huge companies make mistakes as well as smaller ones.

Comments About Facebook Home From Users

“...It was just too much,” reported one user. “...It gets annoying. Plus it hid some of my other apps.” This consumer says it would be better if it was just a lock screen rather than what it really is right now.

Techs and critics alike also say that this Home app is only good “if you are obsessed with Facebook.” So, what is the future of the Facebook Home app?

Image Licensed Under Attribution

Is “Home” Staying or Going?

Apparently Facebook is not giving up on the “Home” app just yet. New features such as a new app storage dock and an easier Android to Facebook screen toggle switch are in the work. Furthermore, this new app is expected to expand to more Android phones in the near future.

Furthermore, Facebook seems to want to, in some ways, model after Google. They proposed buy the company “Waze” as an attempt to make their own mark in the world of mobile web surfing. However, no deal has been made yet.

To make things more interesting, Apple has apparently piqued new interested in Waze as well, although they were initially shot down last year. It is implied that if Apple does step in and make a counter offer over and above the billion-dollar level offer made by Facebook, that Apple may be doing it just to spoil FB's efforts.

Only Time Will Tell What Happens to Facebook Home

Only time will tell what happens to Facebook Home. After all, three weeks and one initial price drop is not necessarily going to determine the future of an app. However, it is clear that quite a bit of work needs to be done on it to make it more appealing to the public.

Perhaps more time should be spend figuring out who would actually want to buy a phone with a Facebook app. Maybe it's one for the teen market only, but who knows?

  Peter Dunbar

About the Author:

Peter Dunbar is a technology junky and the owner of Boost Software. He enjoys blogging about topics in technology and occasionally guest posts on popular blogs about some of the most recent tech gadgets, screen freezes, and other slow computer issues.