It appears that HTC is working with Facebook to develop a new “customized smartphone.” Citing its usual “industry sources,” Digitimes expects that the device could launch as early as Q3 2012. The seeds for this HTC-Facebook partnership may have been planted with last year’s HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa.
The report adds that this smartphone will be powered by Android and come with “a platform exclusive to Facebook to enable and integrate all functions available on the social networking site.” This could mean that the dedicated Facebook button seen on the HTC ChaCha and HTC Salsa will reappear along with deeper integration into the Android platform (widgets, user interface customization, etc).
Facebook will go public in the near future. Own-brand smartphones could be part of its development strategy as it looks to grow revenues by expanding into new areas of business.
Read more: Digitimes