By 
It isn’t any secret that Google and Facebook have butted heads in the past, so while Facebook apps are on virtually every mobile platform that makes a difference right now, there is no Official Facebook App for Android. This dates back to last November when Facebook dissed Android:
In fact, Facebook execs themselves were heard calling Android “vaporware” and saying things like, “Android sucks, it doesn’t matter.” The more official explanation from facebook was they would rely on 3rd party developers to make Facebook apps on Android.
But rumor now has it that an Official Facebook App could launch on Android Market as soon as this week. Why the 180? A number of reasons:
- Android has proved itself as stable
- Android has proved itself as an area of HUGE growth with nearly 1 to 2 dozen phones coming by year’s end
- Google supposedly “lent” Facebook an engineer to work on the application FOR them. Facebook themselves still (alledgedly) don’t have an Android worker.
The application will utilize Facebook’s new Stream API that provides virtually untainted access to the news stream and status updates. Unfortunately it will NOT be a full featured application as you can’t even access your inbox. However, you can expect the application to be updated with new features and better access as time goes on, especially as the Android installed masses grow.
Thank you to all the 3rd party developers who bridged the gap in the absence of an Official Facebook App for Android. Keep doing your thing!
[Thanks Andrew!]
What about the app fBook…ive had it almost since day 1 of android. It has an inbox and much more. Who made fBook and why was it ever taken out of the market?
Phandroid : Any chance we can get a comparison between Bloo and the Offcial facebook app when it arrives?evnahC A
About time. I’m really missing FBook in the Market, but hopefully this will be of value on day 1.
Babbler is currently the best facebook app but if FB are going to write their own then thats good.
On the iPhone it was a bit poor until the current iteration.
Right on. A facebook app would be nice.
Incidentally, from one designer to another… can you use a different bullet point? I know that sounds picky, but every time I read an article on here with a bullet point, I think I can click on it and reveal more information :)
No worries, though. It’s your site. That’s just my two cents!
hey whatever. forget an official app. fbook and babbler are good enuff for me
Although this official app from Facebook won’t initially have Inbox capabilities, is it safe to assume that it will at least have photo uploading?
The FBook app was pretty much a cheap link to the mobile facebook site. The two seemed identical to me. I know there is another developer “Browser” that just links you to mobile sites like: yahoo, facebook, cnn. Browser “apps” then prompt you to download there browser every time you open their apps.
Can’t wait!
Babbler is definately the best iteration of a facebook application to date…fbook was good until they got lazy and linked everything to the mobile site of facebook
I have seen a working version several weeks ago. It does everything and the interface was quite slick. I didn’t get much time to play with it, but it was worth the wait. (They told me it was coming out several weeks ago, but a bug forced them to wait a bit longer).
No, I couldn’t say anything sooner. Google has something called an “NDA” lol.
all i wanna know is will it have the facebook chat with it i hate using two different apps
yea im the same just want an app like the iphone al in one
Where is the App! I’m growing inpatien!!!!!!!!!!!
This message is for Facebook, not phandroid:
Its already September 4!!! Where are you Facebook!? Myspace released their app the day Android came out! Favebook is 100x better than Myspace but your Developers suck…also: HOW DARE YOU DISS ANDROID!