Facebook almost ready to release native Android app
updated 10:12 am EDT, Mon October 8, 2012
Native Facebook for Android app said to be in final internal test phase
Facebook will soon replace its HTML5-based app for Android phones with a native one. The software is now undergoing final internal testing, according to an insider speaking to Engadget. The app can't come soon enough, however, as even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted in the past that the HTML5 apps leave lots to be desired.
He went on to call the Android HTML5 app a mistake and said that the proof of the native app being much better was proven by the fact the native iOS app saw nearly twice as many stories being viewed in news feeds by users.
Reportedly, Facebook staffers were told to use the Android app and suggest ways to improve it. The HTML5 app is said to be slow and not user-friendly. A native app is key, as it's estimated nearly 600 million of Facebook's one billion users access the social network on a regular basis from mobile devices. An exact launch date for the app isn't known, however.
