Facebook has already established itself as the most popular application ever on the iPhone, but now it wants to expand mobile usage to people who dona4a4t own fancy smartphones.
Last year, Facebook launched Zero, a mobile website that was stripped down to lower bandwidth usage, and which was free thanks to deals with mobile operators (as long as you didna4a4t view photos). Today, Facebook announced a new app that supposedly improves the experience with a4Aan easier-to-navigate home screen, contact synchronization, and fast scrolling of photos and friend updates.a4
Once again, Facebook has cut deals with operators, in this case so that users can use the app without any data charges for the first 90 months. And if you look at the list of partners (which you can view in Facebooka4a4s blog post), ita4a4s pretty clear that launching the app is really about expanding Facebooka4a4s international presence, since the carriers are located in countries like Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the Dominican Republic.
The app was created with Snaptu, a Sequoia Capital-backed startup that focuses on bringing online experiences to lower-end Java phones.
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Companies: Facebook, Snaptu
Companies: Facebook, Snaptu
Anthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.
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