Facebook for iPad and Project Spartan May be Announced at Next Week’s Apple Event
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Facebook has a major product announcement and release in the works, and it could come as early as next Monday. What is Facebook coming out with? Well, the long awaited Facebook for iPad app, for one. According to TechCrunch’s sources, the app is finished and ready to go.
That’s not all, though. Facebook is also planning a release of its HTML5 app that’s been quietly in development for quite some time. The app, codenamed Project Spartan, is a total revamp of Facebook Mobile, allowing for both apps and games to be accessed on your iDevices.
Facebook is planning on unveiling these new products on Monday, but the announcement could come on Tuesday at the Apple event, if Apple decides to share the stage with Facebook when it announces the new iPhone 5. Monday is Facebook’s backup plan, in case the company is not invited to the Apple event.
Last night, Facebook accidentally leaked a page revealing the details of Project Spartan, and TechCrunch managed to get ahold of some screenshots. Project Spartan is a new mobile HTML5 app that doesn’t look like anything you’ve seen before from Facebook. Project Spartan has been designed to encourage developers to use Facebook to distribute both apps and games, and both of those are accessible using the HTML 5 app.
I know what you’re thinking. Yes, you will likely be able to play games like Farmville and Frontierville right on your iPhone or iPad. I’m actually surprised that this hasn’t been released earlier, because Facebook is certainly more than eager for you to be able to access that content (and credit purchasing) on your mobile devices.
Both Facebook for the iPad and Project Spartan have been finished for awhile, and both projects have been held up by negotiations with Apple. You know that saying, the enemy of my enemy is my friend? Well, that’s what’s going on here. Apple and Facebook have developed a rocky friendship, to team up against Google and its Google+ app, and that’s why Facebook for iPad, Project Spartan, and the iOS 5 release are all inextricably linked.
Apple’s iOS 5 event is coming on Tuesday, October 4th, and you will see both Facebook for the iPad and the new HTML5 app early next week, if the rumors end up being correct.
[Image Credit: TechCrunch]
