With 500 million users and growing, Facebook is the undisputed social media service today where people connect and communicate. Realizing this, HTC has launched the HTC Cha Chan and HTC Salsa which are entry-level Android smartphones designed around the Facebook ecosystem.
Released at the ongoing World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain, HTC’s Facebook phones fill a void in the tween and teen text-focused feature phone market once dominated by the Sidekick and LG’s messaging phones. The new phones focus on texting and typing and quick-buttons that put users in the middle of the Facebook experience where they can share, post photos, communicate with their friends and tag photos on-the-go. The fact that these phones run Android is a bonus because Facebook is clearly at the front and centre of this experience.
The HTC Salsa
Shaped not unlike the HTC Legend, the HTC Salsa is the touchscreen focused phone that features HTC’s Sense user interface overlay but which also gives users one-touch access to Facebook. The HTC Salsa runs on a 600 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM and 512 MB of phone storage with MicroSD expansion and a 5 megapixel camera. This is clearly a low-spec smartphone that has just enough muscle to power the Facebook experience as well a number of Android apps. the HTC Salsa’s 3.4 inch touch screen is geared towards viewing websites, photos and touch and gesture controls.
The HTC Cha Cha
With a QWERTY keyboard and a 2.6-inch touch screen display, the HTC Cha Cha is focused on messaging and communications via SMS, e-Mail and through Facebook. With a more traditional candybar phone factor, the HTC Cha Cha
With identical specs and features as the HTC Salsa, the Cha Cha offers a more traditional almost business oriented type-and-go experience. Ideal for heavy texters and who aren’t too focused on multimedia or web surfing on the go, the HTC Cha Cha will run Android apps but the small screen size may not do all of them justice.
It is too soon to tell if other manufacturers are going to get into the Facebook phone game and if there will ever be a Facebook phone that runs purely within the social network’s framework without needing Android to run in the background. We feel that Facebook is testing the waters with these new devices which we expect will be generally inexpensive or at least cheaper than full-featured high end smartphones.
More Android coverage
