Facebook to hold Android event on April 4, phone launch?

Facebook has started sending out invites to the tech press for an event on April 4, where the company promises to show something related to Android.

The invite states ‘come see out new home on Android,’ which could many things including new app, or a home-screen replacement that integrates Facebook or even an Android powered phone with Facebook specific customizations.

TechCrunch is betting its money on the phone launch, the tech blog wrote that the phone is going to be the much rumoured HTC device with modified Android operating system.  TechCrunch added that that customisations won’t be something like what Amazon does with Android, but will just have an extra flavour over Android that will bring all sorts of extra Facebook functionality.

“We’ve also heard it referred to as an “application layer”. Imagine Facebook’s integration with iOS 6, but on steroids, and built by Facebook itself. It could have a heavy reliance on Facebook’s native apps like Messenger, easy social sharing from anywhere on the phone, and more,” noted TechCrunch in a post.

In a separate report, 9To5Google adds that Facebook and HTC are currently working on join ad campaign, which gives credence to the reports of HTC made Facebook phone, else why would HTC be advertising with Facebook.

9To5Google writes:

“According to people familiar with the development of the marketing campaign for the Facebook/HTC phone, the advertisements are designed to focus on the potential user of the device, not on the hardware or software. As a nod to this phone being a much expanded version of the Facebook application found on iOS and standard Android devices, one of the tag-lines for the device is “more than just an app.”
The report also notes quoting a source, who has seen this alleged Facebook phone hardware, that this phone remind of an iPhone and packs a display bigger than 4-inch. Some previous reports had pegged the Facebook phone to feature a 4.3-inch display, which sounds similar to more than 4-inch display that 9to5Google source is talking about.

There is no way to authenticate these reports, but at least we will be seeing something related to Android on April 4, so take all this with a pinch of salt and wait for the actual announcement.