Taking on the world
While the smartphone is rapidly becoming the default for new phone purchasers, there's still a huge installed-base of feature-phone users and that's unlikely to change too soon in less developed markets.
Facebook's ambitions are limitless, and mobile devices are increasingly where users interact with the social networking service, so it stands to reason that Facebook would want to reach out to feature-phone users. It signalled its intentions with the acquisition of Snaptu back in March.
Now Facebook has unveiled what appears to be the fruit of that acquisition, with was is essentially a refresh of the Snaptu app Facebook launched at the start of the year. The app is called Facebook for Every Phone, and is supported by over 2,500 current phones. It includes features such as the news feed and the ability to upload photos.
In order to promote the launch and encourage users to give it a try, Facebook has collaborated with a bunch of operators to offer free data access to the app for 90 days. The only listed UK operator is Three, but the fact that four operators are listed from India and Indonesia alone offers a clear indication of where this app is targeted.
You can access Facebook for Every Phone via the corresponding blog post, or at app stores such as Getjar.
