Google just closed its acquisition of Motorola Mobility and officially became a smartphone manufacturer. Is Facebook jealous? It must be, because the New York Times is reporting strong rumors that we could see a Facebook phone sometime next year. Facebook did not confirm or deny the rumor, it pointed to an earlier statement saying, “We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers.” So, is it a good idea for Facebook to start manufacturing and marketing smartphones? It depends on whom you ask. Some analysts say it’s a terrible idea, because Facebook has absolutely no experience in the hardware business and the competition is just too tough to learn on the job. Others say, that a proprietary mobile device would help Facebook execute a profitable mobile strategy and, more importantly, help properly position the company in the mobile space. One thing is for sure, Facebook is now public and everything it does will be carefully watched.
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