‘Buffy’ the Facebook Phone: Truth or Hoax?

Is Facebook really releasing its own phone called "Buffy"?

For the heavy users of Facebook, here it comes! AllThingsD reported that the rumored Facebook phone does exist. It is also reported that Facebook is partnering with HTC to build these custom phone, which will be equipped with custom version of Android OS.

The custom version of Android will be tweaked to match and integrate the different services offered by Facebook. The social networking site giant is doing what Amazon did to its Kindle Fire. Moreover, Facebook will be supporting the HTML 5 platform for the applications it introduced a few months ago during the f8 event.

The rumored Facebook phone will not be hitting the market soon as the company recently chose HTC over Samsung to build the phone. Thus it will take a year or a year and a half to make the phone and make it available to consumers.

Facebook's Chief Technology Officer Bret Taylor is reported to head the project. Taylor said that the company's strategy on the phone is quite simple. The phone will be deeply improved if it is social. According to the report in AllThingsD's website, Facebook is already working with the entire mobile industry, operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers and app developers to make a phone with uber social features to consumers worldwide.

It is easy to speculate that Facebook is trying to keep up with its competitors. Twitter is heavily integrated in Apple's iOS 5 and Google+ was built in the Android 4.0 or popularly known as Ice Cream Sandwich. Thus, it is not quite surprising that Facebook wants to make its own phone after the Zuckerberg's company unsuccessful deal with Apple for Facebook integration in iOS 5. In attempt to battle its competitors, Facebook tried to make its own low cost mobile phones. Even HTC has its Facebook icon. However, none of these phones boosts Facebook's popularity in handsets.

Facebook can still regain its former glory by maintaining its healthy relationships with almost 500 service providers and carriers worldwide. Facebook already offered free data-free access to Facebook for three months to feature phone users.

Another way to boost Facebook is via messaging. If it manages to get some sort of concession on data used by Facebook Messenger, the service could work out as a brilliant SMS/MMS alternative. With Microsoft's investment in Facebook, maybe Skype could also be integrated.

Will any of the 800 million users of Facebook buy the Buffy? Will anybody leave their iPhone, Nokia, Samsung or other Android phones for a device that's integrated to Facebook?