Facebook To Launch ‘The Facebook Phone,’ Next Week? – [RUMOR, REPORT]

Remember those rumors about the ‘Facebook Phone,’ which Bloomberg claimed was originally due for its introduction in Europe back in 2011? — Well, it would now appear Bloomberg might have been just a little off in its predictions.

That said, big blue is reportedly set to hold a special media event – next week, at which the Palo Alto, CA firm is (finally) expected to debut ‘The Facebook Phone.’

According to TechCrunch, Facebook has this weekend sent out a number of invitations to the world’s media, inviting them to attend a special event the company will hold at its new headquarters – 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park.

The publication speculates the product could be unveiled as “Facebook Home”, with its hallmark being “a heavily Facebook-ified mobile phone home screen.”

“This could include Facebook news feed stories and data splayed out right on the home screen, along with easy access to Facebook apps,” Constine writes. “With deeper control of a modified operating system would come huge opportunities to collect data on its users. Facebook knows that who you SMS and call are important indicators of who your closest friends are. Its own version of Android could give it that info, which could be used to refine everything from what content you’re shown in the news feed to which friends faces are used in ads you see.”

The media invitation, sent out by the firm just several hours ago, asks those planning to attend the event to “Come See [Facebook's] New Home on Android”. Providing reports of the event’s focus are accurate, the Facebook-branded smartphone is expected to arrive as a direct, Amazon-style competitor to Apple’s iPhone, and will reportedly run a (slightly altered) version of Android OS.

Facebook’s media event kicks-off on April 4, at 10AM Pacific. You can bet we’ll be on-hand to provide you with the latest from the event, as it happens.

The Question: Would You Use ’The Facebook Phone‘?