Facebook set to make small-screen debut on Android smartphone

Other than an invitation to "Come see our new home on Android", Facebook has given no clue as to the content of this evening's presentation.

Facebook is suspected will take its biggest leap into mobile this evening when it is expected to unveil a collaboration with handset maker HTC and software that can take over any Android phone.

At an event in its San Francisco headquarters, the world's largest social network will reveal how it intends to keep up with the computing habits of its 1 billion monthly users, 680 million of whom now access Facebook from a phone.

The centrepiece will be Facebook Home, an application which can be downloaded to Android phones to customise an array of functions from the camera to the home screen, according to a leak of the software seen by the Android Police website.

The software is likely to be illustrated on a device called Myst, specially made by Taiwanese firm HTC. The long-rumoured Facebook phone is the fruit of a two year development project whose early incarnation bore the codename 'Buffy' – presumably a reference to the vampire killer television series.

Let us wait and see

Facebook poised to announce its 'new home on Android'

Facebook will next week unveil its latest push into the mobile world – and industry watchers are convinced the social network is about to launch a Facebook-branded phone.

Media has been summoned to an event at Facebook's headquarters in California on 4 April, with teaser invitations bearing the words "Come See Our New Home on Android".The world's largest social networking site is giving no further clues, and the announcement could be nothing more than a new service or application, but detailed leaks suggest the company is about to release the fruits of a long-rumoured collaboration with Taiwanese manufacturer HTC – a smartphone whose software is a customised version of Google's Android operating system.

While the camera and memory are reportedly run of the mill – a modest 5 megapixel rear lens for photos, a 1.6 megapixel front facing camera for video calls, and a basic 16 gigabytes of storage – its software may be unique.With a similar look to a black iPhone but boasting a slightly larger 4.3 inch display, the phone is supposedly packed with Facebook services, with easy access to its instant messaging and Instagram photography applications, and a home screen displaying the owner's news feed.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has made no secret of his desire to do more for the 680 million people who access his services on their mobiles each month."You have a good version of all the Facebook features you know and want on your phone. So now the next thing we're going to do is get really good at building new mobile-first experiences," Zuckerberg told investors in January. "That's going to be a big theme for us this year."