Facebook Might Be Launching A Smartphone

In what can only be described as a shocking irony given how appallingly bad Facebook Mobile is, the Social Networking giant is allegedly moving in on the mobile market, and will release a smartphone next year.

This is according to reports from Facebook employees as well as a number of engineers, all who opted to remain anonymous, that a Facebook smartphone is currently in development and will be available in 2013.

Facebook has apparently recruited a number of former Apple software and hardware engineers who previously worked on the iPhone and iPad. A partnership has also been entered with HTC to create a mobile device codenamed Buffy. Expect an endorsement from Sarah Michelle Gellar, perhaps.

“Mark is worried that if he doesn’t create a mobile phone in the near future that Facebook will simply become an app on other mobiles platforms,” said an unnamed Facebook employee. We assume he means Zuckerberg and not, say, Shuttleworth. At least it would give the recently acquired Instagram a purpose.

Smartphones have done great things for social gaming as well as mobile application use, with many opting to choose their phones over their families when diving out of burning buildings, so a Facebook smartphone might be quite a treat for the mainstream. I’ll stick to my Android — which I’ve lovingly named Pwndroid — thanks. What about you? Keen for a real Facebook mobile?