Bloatware Again?! Facebook For Android App Review

23.9.11 The Reporter 0 Comments

Do you Facebook on your Android? What do you use?

Most likely, readers of this blog use Facebook. And whether you use Android, an iPhone, a Blackberry, a Nokia with WiFi capabilities, or even a Filipino phone like a Cherry Mobile, MyPhone, Torque, or a Chinaphone with WiFi capabilities, we're betting that one of the reasons why you got yourself a WiFi-capable phone is that you wanted to remain logged on to Facebook.

Most generic WiFi-capable phones, especially the Chinaphone and Filipino phone types, use browsers for social networking. Phones with proprietary OS's logon to Facebook using their own native apps. For the Android, there is a native app for Facebook available.

Our resident app tester uses Opera Mini for logging on to her pet social networking sites like Facebook, Plurk and Twitter. She doesn't use the native Facebook for Android app. Here are her reasons why:

• Opera Mini has a Speed Dial. So when she logs on to the Internet, she can head on to Facebook with one click.
• Opera Mini or even Dolphin Browser HD allows her to multi-task. She can read the news while keeping tabs on who's commented on her posts.
• Compared to Opera Mini or Dolphin Browser, Facebook for Android is throw-your-phone-out-the-window-now slow.

We don't know what it is about Facebook and their penchant for bloating their software, but they just do. We won't get into the recent changes in Facebook that's gotten a good majority of the users in an uproar, but here's the review of the Facebook for Android app:

Initial Impressions:

The app actually attempts to create a consummate Facebook experience on mobile. There are a few things to love about it: the organization, the comprehensive features and the beautiful interface cannot be found on the browser-based Facebook for Mobile. If you can't live without chat, groups and if you prefer a better experience in viewing your photos as well as your friends', then the Facebook app is definitely better than using the mobile browser version.

Upon sign-in, you will be taken to a simple, easy-to-understand version of the News Feed. On the top area, there are three buttons: Photo, Status and Check In, which you can tap to update your wall with whichever option you chose. If you want to Like or Comment on your friends' or your own posts, there is a button with a + on the bottom right area of each post which opens up to two other buttons: Like and Comment. This style of Like-ing and Commenting is similar to how Facebook for Mobile appears on the Dolphin Browser HD rendering of Facebook for Mobile. By contrast, these two options appear only as linked texts on the Opera Mini.

When you tap on the Facebook logo on the topmost left corner, you will be taken to a menu with 9 choices:

Top Row: News Feed, Profile, Friends
Middle Row: Messages, Nearby, Groups
Bottom Row: Events, Photos, Chat

Then below that area is a row of photos your friends shared recently. On the bottom-most area is a bar that shows your notifications.

Great Things About The App:

If there's any reason to keep Facebook for Mobile, it has got to be the fact that it's comprehensive and beautifully laid out. Also, the capacity to chat and the shared photos that you can see at a glance are handy features as well.

Bad Things About The App:

BLOATWARE. If your phone is on the low-spec side, forget it. If you're only on Facebook to keep a running commentary of your day's activities and have little use for chatting or any of the snazzy features, then maybe it's best to stick to the browser versions. As we mentioned, Dolphin Browser HD gives a great rendering of Facebook for Mobile. Saves you some ROM space, as well.

Verdict:

If your phone is a Superdroid, and will be running this app smoothly and snappily, go for it. But if your phone is on low specs, as we said, skip it. Yes, you can live without chat and a live update of your friends' shared photos.

Rating:

3/5 Stars. 4/5 Stars because it looks beautiful, but we took down 1 star because it's slow and slows down everything else in a low-spec Android.


Photo Credits: Talk Android