

Facebook Launches "Facebook For Every Phone" – Java Based Mobile App - dkd903
http://digitizor.com/2011/07/13/facebook-java/

======
jwarzech
I understand that its really "Facebook for Every (non iOS, Win7, Android,
etc.) Phone" but doesn't the name sort of imply that its the same app that can
be downloaded for every phone? (I know sort of a nit-picky comment)

~~~
rawsyntax
maybe it should be "facebook for every OTHER phone"

~~~
FlowerPower
It is a JavaME app and so any phone that implements JavaME can run it.

~~~
mikemaccana
What phones have easily installed JavaME apps?

As far I know very few S60 users actually install apps, despite Nokia
apparently having an app store.

------
jjm
I have to give it up to these devs, cause I don't know If I'd have the
motivation to want to use a Java UI toolkit, especially trying to get it
working on all kinds of older phones. Might turn in to this:
<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2754986>

------
zalew
I'd prefer they fixed the Android app

------
revorad
This will probably be huge in developing countries.

------
spinchange
This makes me want to dig out an old phone just to try. I'm not not even that
into Facebook, but find this really impressive.

~~~
jonknee
Why is it impressive? Java apps for mobile phones have been around for at
least 10 years. They could bring out a PalmOS app as well and I'd be just as
about impressed. Outside of the developing world, people with feature phones
aren't likely to install the app and are even less likely to have a data plan
so that it can be used. It fills a checkbox on a presentation slide, but won't
make a difference.

~~~
spinchange
The Java mobile apps my kids have (on their feature phones, with data their
plans) and that I remember do not look this good. In my opinion it's
meaningful to provide software that improves the functionality & UX for 2500
different lines of legacy mobile hardware even though that might not be
"sexy."

------
swalkergibson
Interesting. It seems like they are still attempting to grow in developing
countries. Why are they focusing on this when their primary revenue stream is
display advertising? I cannot imagine big-name advertisers are particularly
interested in reaching people outside of the "Westernized" world...

~~~
jonknee
They gotta pump the growth numbers somehow.

------
LoonyPandora
They must've soft-launched this, as I've been using it on my feature phone for
at least a month.

I assumed it was just an old app that they made before smart phones dominated
the market.

It's a really nice little app.

------
paliopolis
But why still no native app for the iPad :-(

~~~
ceejayoz
Other than video/image uploads, there's not much you can't do with the
Facebook website on an iPad. My wife uses it all the time without any issues.

~~~
jonknee
Chat's another one IIRC.

~~~
ceejayoz
There are third party iPad apps that'll hook into Facebook Chat for you.

------
cesar
I would be interested to know the architecture of the application/s to make it
seamlessly work for all those phones.

Suggestions?

~~~
currywurst
J2ME Polish (<http://www.enough.de/products/j2me-polish/>) was a popular
cross-phone toolkit when I was spelunking in J2ME dev a long time ago ..

