Visualized: Facebook Home's assortment of abodes

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Visualized Facebook Home's variety of abodes" data-src-height="304" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/fbhome2.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> As you may have heard, Facebook Home has finally made its way to a select number of devices from HTC and Samsung. While the initial rollout was a little shaky, we were able to grab the social network's latest mobile triumph on every device that officially supports it. What you see above is the full spread of devices that are listed as candidates for the downloadable APK's launch (the HTC First excepted, which we have unfortunately already shipped away): from left to right, you'll see the Samsung Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S III, HTC One X+, One X and the One. For folks who already have access to it, the One isn't officially supported yet, but it's been announced and it should be coming soon.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> We've already gone into painstaking detail of Facebook Home in our review of the HTC First, so we won't dwell too much on the downloadable version. In short, as we expected, the interface seems quite a bit more quiet than our experience on the First simply because it doesn't offer the same system-level integration; in other words, the devices shown in the above image are only able to display notifications related to Facebook services. You can still access your usual suite of alerts through the status bar at the top of the screen, but just make sure to go into Home settings to enable this functionality. Aside from the difference in notifications, the downloadable APK differs from the First's pre-loaded version in that no Google search bar sits upon the top of Home's app menu. Other than that, you'll be hard-pressed to find any major variances in Cover Feed, chat heads or the app launcher. If you're curious to see exactly what it looks like on a Samsung Galaxy S III, check out our gallery of screenshots below.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Note: To ensure that everything works the way it should on your phone, make sure the official Facebook and Messenger apps are installed and completely up-to-date.</div></div>

Visualized: Facebook Home's assortment of abodes

As you may have heard, Facebook Home has finally made its way to a select number of devices from HTC and Samsung. While the initial roll...

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Facebook Home hits Google Play today, available for select Android devices

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" itemprop="text" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Facebook Home hits Google Play today, available for select Android devices" data-src-height="450" data-src-width="509" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/home2-1365783278.jpg" /></div>Chat heads, a virtual carousel of full screen (Instagram) images and enough status updates to let you keep close stalkerly tabs on your nearest and dearest -- that's what Facebook's got in Home. And as of today, it's breaking free from AT&T's exclusive HTC First and heading to a choice few Android flagships in the US. Now owners of the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II as well as the HTC One X+ can rush on over to Google Play or Facebook's site to download the free screen-stealing app / launcher. And when HTC's One and Samsung's GS 4 make their eventual way to the US market, Facebook heads will also have the <em>privilege</em> of setting up Home on those two flagships, just as Zuck promised. Home: it's where privacy and your free time go to die.<br /> </div></div>

Facebook Home hits Google Play today, available for select Android devices

Chat heads, a virtual carousel of full screen (Instagram) images and enough status updates to let you keep close stalkerly tabs on your ...

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HTC First with Facebook Home review

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP HTC First with Facebook Home review" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc05424-1365523689.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> With a billion users, it'd be an understatement to say Facebook has done a good job conquering the desktop world. Mobile, however, is the social network's next frontier: although it has a significant presence on every major smartphone and tablet platform, the company has a reputation for bringing its key features to the PC environment long before they arrive on mobile -- if at all.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> But the April 4th reveal of Facebook Home, a solidly built Android launcher, reflects a change in attitude for Mark Zuckerberg and Co. Instead of simply maintaining a smartphone presence, Facebook is ready to go to battle and is putting mobile on the top of its list of priorities. It's even adding a proper piece of hardware to its arsenal in the form of the HTC First, a 4.3-inch device on AT&T with LTE, reasonable mid-range specs and a gorgeous display. Is it worth $99 with a two-year commitment to purchase a handset dedicated to the social cause? Should you just wait until Home is available as a free download in the Google Play Store? Or is it best to ignore it altogether? Continue reading to find out.</div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <span>It would be an understatement to say the HTC First took a backseat to Facebook Home at the company's recent press conference; it was locked in the trunk and wasn't let out until a few hours after Mark Zuckerberg and a series of HTC / AT&T execs said their piece. That doesn't mean the First's hardware is chopped liver, but even so, the omission of specs is rarely a good sign. Aside from a nod to the LTE radio and a few pictures detailing the four available colors -- black, white, pale blue and red, if you're curious -- Facebook almost seemed to forget that new hardware was being introduced.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> <span>Now that we've had a chance to actually use the First for a few days, we can happily put an end to any confusion about the hardware. In today's market, an Android handset with a 4.3-inch display is considered petite, and the First definitely feels that way: at 125.99 x 65.04 x 8.89mm (4.96 x 2.56 x 0.35 inches), it nearly gets swallowed up in the hand, especially compared to all the 5-plus-inch devices we've been testing recently. It's also incredibly lightweight, barely registering on the scale at 4.37 ounces (124g).</span></div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP HTC First with Facebook Home review" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc05371-1365523526.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Since the First was built to impress the Facebook-savvy, we shouldn't be surprised that this is one of the most playful-looking handsets HTC has ever made. It's not that there's anything extreme about the design; there's just something about the soft curves, multiple hues and soft-touch plastic shell that wraps around the entire device, similar to the Lumia 620. (Don't take that comparison too far, though -- the shell here isn't user-removable.) All told, it doesn't take itself too seriously; it's a phone that's focused on Facebook, and indeed, it looks the part.<br /> <br /> In fact, one of the biggest surprises is that the First's design doesn't really scream HTC -- it's almost as if the company is going back to its ODM roots, creating whatever handset other businesses (Facebook, in this case) demand. Whether or not this is the beginning of a new strategy for the Taiwanese manufacturer remains to be seen, but we can't help but wonder if "First" connotes more than just the inaugural Facebook Home device.</div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP HTC First with Facebook Home review" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc05427.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> On the front of the First, you'll find a 4.3-inch, 720p S-LCD2 display, which packs in an above-average pixel density of 341 ppi. Obviously, it doesn't hold a candle to all those 1080p behemoths we've been seeing, but these specs were top-of-the-line in 2012, and they still hold up well today. Viewing angles are better than average, colors are decently saturated (but not overly so) and text is pretty smooth, though it's expectedly not as good as what we've seen on the HTC One's 1080p screen. The only disappointment was the phone's subpar performance in direct sunlight -- even at full brightness, we found it difficult to make out images and text.<br /> <br /> A 1.6MP front-facing camera resides above the screen, though it hangs out underneath the same panel of Gorilla Glass, along with the usual assortment of sensors and LED notification light. The speakers are squeezed inside a tiny, narrow grille, which sits in between the glass and the top edge of the phone. On the opposite end you'll find three capacitive keys: back, home and menu. (Recent apps pop up when you double-tap home, while a long-press of home pulls up Google Now.)</div><div class="image-container" dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="DNP HTC First with Facebook Home review" data-src-height="411" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/dsc05348-1365523735.jpg" /></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"> Turn the phone over and you'll discover a perfectly flat back featuring the 5MP rear camera and LED flash. If you only glance quickly, you may think that there isn't anything else happening on this side of the device, but look more closely and you'll see it: stenciled in incredibly light ink are logos for HTC, Facebook and AT&T, along with the obligatory FCC information underneath. The print is so small, so inoffensive, that it's actually hard to read in dimmer lighting conditions. This is something we want to see other companies mimic on their devices (Sprint has already taken a big step by removing logos from its branded phones). We're also happy to say the Beats Audio branding is nowhere to be seen, a rarity for a post-2011 HTC device.<br /> <br /> Up top sits a 3.5mm headphone jack and mic, while the power button is located on the right. Since it sticks out from the frame by at least a millimeter or so, that button is very easy to press. Meanwhile, the right side houses the micro-SIM slot and micro-USB charging port. It's an unfortunate location for the latter, but the bottom of the device -- our preferred location for charging ports -- is taken up by a machine-drilled speaker grille. The volume rocker is found on the left side of the First. Finally, if you're looking for a microSD slot or dedicated camera shutter button, you'll be disappointed.<br /> <br /> The First is an AT&T exclusive in the US, and it actively uses LTE bands 4 and 17, HSPA+ 850 / 1900 / 2100 and quad-band GSM / EDGE (its FCC docs also indicate the presence of LTE bands 2 and 5, as most AT&T smartphones do). The global model, on the other hand, promises LTE capacity on 850 / 1900 as well as HSPA+ 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100 and quad-band GSM / EDGE. Both devices also provide dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, FM radio, a non-removable 2,000mAh Lithium-polymer battery and 16GB of internal storage (11.9GB of which is user-accessible).</div></div>

HTC First with Facebook Home review

With a billion users, it'd be an understatement to say Facebook has done a good job conquering the desktop world. Mobile, however, is...

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Get an early look at Facebook Home with these leaked pre-release APKs

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div class="copy post-body" dir="ltr" itemprop="text" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="Get an early look at Facebook Home with these leaked prerelease APKs" data-src-height="413" data-src-width="619" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/homelead.jpg" /></div>Facebook Home's making its official debut on the HTC First and a handful of big-hitting Android handsets this Friday, but <i>MoDaCo</i> has come across a trio of APKs which offer an early taste. The leaked APKs have been stripped from a pre-release HTC First ROM, with <em>MoDaCo</em> noting they're "rather buggy" and not fully functional -- Chat Heads doesn't work, for example. You'll need a handset with a max screen res of 1,280 x 768 and must be able to remove the current Android Facebook app, as the newer APKs won't install otherwise. <i>MoDaCo</i> lists a workaround for phones that have Facebook baked into the ROM, but it'll still need to be rooted. Hit up the source link if you've got the side-loading skills and feel like giving Facebook Home a preliminary poking.<br /> </div></div>

Get an early look at Facebook Home with these leaked pre-release APKs

Facebook Home's making its official debut on the HTC First and a handful of big-hitting Android handsets this Friday, but MoDaCo has...

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Facebook Home official, replaces your app icons with social info

<div dir="rtl" style="text-align: right;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="image-container" style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2013/04/facebook-home-notifications-event.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Today Facebook finally took the wraps off Home, a suite of apps and a home screen replacement for Android phones. It's not just a new UI for launching apps however; it replaces the lockscreen with Cover Feed and prioritizes updates from people instead of apps. There is a standard paginated launcher, that is always just a swipe away. But the focus is on the full-screen images that are your new welcome screen. These are status updates from friends that you can easily flip through and double tap to like when someone posts something exciting. Plain text status updates are placed over a user's cover photo, to keep the appearance consistent with photo-centric posts.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Notifications are presented as small cards, which Facebook applies an algorithm to, in order determine the updates that are most important to you. Just like with the standard Android UI you simply swipe notifications off screen to dismiss them. But, if you want to remove all of them in one shot, you long press a single notification and the rest will be drawn to it and you'll be able to dismiss the entire stack.</div></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HKyO0hJEp-g?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe> One of the most interesting new features, however, is Chat Heads. Facebook's messaging app is tightly integrated across the platform, allowing you to quickly and easily communicate with your friends without leaving whatever app you currently have open. Chat Heads appear as circular icons on the right hand side, though you can drag them anywhere you like on the screen. Tapping them opens a pop-over chat dialog that combines IMs and text messages into a universal interface. Differentiating between chats and texts is down only to the color of chat bubbles, while messages from Groups are presented as group chats with divided icons. Your primary method for navigating around (outside of the standard Android buttons) is a home button that sits towards the bottom of the display. The icon itself uses your profile photo and tapping it takes you back to your Home, populated with social updates. However, long pressing it presents you with a trio of options. Swipe left for messenger, swipe up for apps and swipe right to open up your latest app. It's very much like the elegant three-way unlock screen Google blessed Jelly Bean 4.1 with (before screwing everything up with lockscreen widgets). At first Facebook Home will only be available from the Play store on a few select phones, the Galaxy S III, S 4, the HTC One, One X+ and the Note II. But more devices are in the works -- including Android tablets. If you're looking to get your own hands-on with the new Android replacement UI it'll be available on those phones April 12th in the US, with other countries to follow. Update: We've added a whole host of videos, both above and below so you can get a peek at Facebook Home yourself. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9p_y9dAK94Q?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tWKE0HTl0ig?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Lep_DSmSRwE?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div></div>

Facebook Home official, replaces your app icons with social info

Today Facebook finally took the wraps off Home, a suite of apps and a home screen replacement for Android phones. It's not just a new ...

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