Just when it seems like there’s not enough smartphones to choose from, rumors of a Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) phone are again making the rounds, muddying up the waters.
In new reports, it appears the social media giant could release a mid-market smartphone soon and there are specs to this story to give it some legs. This will follow the first “Facebook” phone, the HTC Cha Cha.
Under the code name “HTC Myst,” the new phone will supposedly include a 1.5GHz dual-core MSM8960 SoC QUALCOMM Inc (NASDAQ:QCOM) processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of non-expandable internal storage, reported TechCrunch. There’s also a 5 megapixel rear camera and a 1.6 megapixel front-facing shooter; it will also carry the Android Jelly Bean 4.1.2.
Taking a look at its screen, it will come in at 4.3 inches, a 720p resolution, 320PPI pixel density and near-Retina resolution.
The earlier HTC ChaCha, included a portrait QWERTY keyboard, but this second phone appears to be touch-only, reported CNET. It will come with either 4G LTE or HSPA connectivity along with Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, LTE, and a category 14 HSDPA.
The phone is expected to be available through the carrier, AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and of course the device will come with a pre-installed Facebook button as well as Facebook Messenger and Instagram.
The launch is expected near the start of this spring.
The move towards a Facebook phone started last May with a New York Times article. Many wondered why the company would even introduce a phone. The timing was interesting as it came right after the company went public and we all remembered what happened.
Then in November, rumors returned and Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his executive team denied the rumors. This phone had the code name, “Opera UL.” It was also reported to include Android’s 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system, a 1.4 GHz dual-core processor, and high-definition display measuring 1280 x 720.
The company went so far as to hire six former Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone engineers and one iPad engineer last fall.
And now with the possibility of another Facebook phone, this is again entertaining as the smartphone market is becoming quite crowded and competitive. On Friday, rumors were also swirling that Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) (TSE:BB) could launch its BlackBerry Z10 in the U.S. on March 22 through AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T).
Neither company would either confirm the date or the carrier.
Then there’s upcoming launch of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 on March 14.
It’s interesting timing for Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) to launch its new phone. Perhaps it doesn’t want to be left out of this highly-competitive conversation.
And in case you’re wondering, the first day of spring is Wednesday, March 20. This year March Madness may take on a whole new meaning.
