If you’ve been looking forward to getting your hands on the HTC First, also known as the Facebook Phone, then EE and Facebook have some bad news – its UK launch has been put on indefinite hold. The HTC First is already on sale in the US, as an exclusive with the AT&T network, and was expected to come to EE – where it would connect to it’s 4G network – during the summer.
However, a statement from EE has been published by tech site Engadget, following a rumour report by MobileNews early yesterday, saying Facebook has recommended EE hold off releasing the First, while it works on improving Facebook Home.
Facebook Home is the launcher app which comes pre-installed on the HTC First, but is also available as a standalone app which can be downloaded for a select few devices from Google Play. Facebook states, “customer feedback” is the reason for the First’s UK cancellation, indicating it’s aware Home needs some work. We reviewed Facebook Home on the Galaxy S III recently and found it to be a flawed experience as it obscures so much of the Android operating system, it makes everything except Facebook rather awkward and annoying to use.
EE will be contacting anyone who has pre-ordered the HTC First over the coming weeks, but for now, anyone who wants the Facebook Home experience here in the UK will need a phone compatible with the launcher app. This list currently includes the aforementioned Galaxy S3, plus the Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S4, HTC One, HTC One X, One X+ and the Sony Xperia ZL
Source: http://www.dialaphone.co.uk/blog/2013/05/24/uk-launch-of-the-htc-first-has-been-cancelled/
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