Facebook's Team of Former Apple Engineers Focused on Improving iOS App

[MacRumors]

Last month, The New York Times reported that Facebook has been working on a major overhaul of its iOS app, seeking to improve performance by transitioning from the current HTML5-based app to a native Objective-C one. At the time, Facebook was said to be releasing the app the following month.

Facebook's current iPhone app​

Bloomberg now follows up with a more extensive report looking at Facebook's mobile efforts, which reportedly include work with HTC on a Facebook smartphone targeted for mid-2013. That effort has been previously disclosed, with the company reportedly having hired former Apple engineers to drive the project.

Today's report indicates that this team of former Apple engineers has actually been focused primarily on the iOS app rebuild, although the company's timeline appears to be a bit longer than suggested last month.

This team from Apple has been primarily focused on rebuilding Facebook's iPhone application, which has been criticized by users for being slow. An initial release could be announced within a couple of months, with another broader overhaul of the iPhone app coming next near, one person said.

Facebook's team of former Apple employees includes Mike Matas and Kimon Tsinteris, two iOS interface designers who left the company to start digital publishing company Push Pop Press, which Facebook acquired last year.

Former Apple staff hired by Facebook to work on mobile are: Greg Novick, who helped develop the touch-screen user interface; Tim Omernick and Chris Tremblay, who also worked on the device's software; and Scott Goodson, who helped create the stock-market application, according to people with knowledge of the hires.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged that transitioning to mobile devices is among the most difficult tasks for the company, given the differences in user experiences between mobile and desktop. While the company has embraced mobile with apps for iOS and Android, it is still seeking ways to improve the user experience on those devices and bring new features to those platforms.

Article Link: Facebook's Team of Former Apple Engineers Focused on Improving iOS App

 

[mms13]

Good, because the Facebook app is truly awful.

 

[sbrhwkp3]

Long overdue, Zuck.

 

[bushido]

i cannot believe that the iPad app still has no timeline. how hard could it be ... the app itself is basically just the mobile web page anyway

 

[Elven]

It really is about damn time.

I just hope that they remain focussed on improving the quality of the application and don't rush it out with "features".

I would rather wait a year for a solid app, then 4months and only a marginal improvement.

 

[Apollo231]

Facebook has a history of saying that something will be done 'soon' and then it ends up being up to a year when it actually happens!

 

[palmerc2]

First order of business: allow me to copy the text in posts.

Second order of business: add a "share" button.

That is all

 

[hobo.hopkins]

It will be overdue no matter when/if they release it.

 

[aziatiklover]

About time!

 

[bohbot16]

I'd love it if they added Instapaper integration like the Twitter app has.

 

[Navdakilla]

Facebook has a history of saying that something will be done 'soon' and then it ends up being up to a year when it actually happens!

very true,
However since i'm solely a casual browser, the fb app is decent enough for my needs, although flawed

 

[BornAgainApple]

This update can't come soon enough. I normally wouldn't give a damn about Facebook, but as a parent, it really comes in handy with communicating with other parents in the community. The app is so bad that I resort to using the mobile version in Safari.

 

[Jensen G]

Seriously, not only is the current Facebook app slow, but also inaccurate, often showing notification badges that link to the wrong posts or content, or can't pull replies to posts that have recently been made. I am REALLY looking forward to the new app.

 

[borisiii]

I was going to say they couldn't possibly make the app any worse, but then again this is Facebook...

 

[Macrolido]

I use it on iPod touch an it crashes often...

 

[room237]

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has acknowledged that transitioning to mobile devices is among the most difficult tasks for the company, given the differences in user experiences between mobile and desktop.

Yet somehow, the Facebook mobile web app works a lot better than the native app. I'm no developer but I can't fathom why it's taking so long when I think about how much money Facebook has. And, there are about half a dozen of 3rd party developers who's facebook apps work better than the official app.

 

[Razeus]

Please fix the "loading" issue. And the notifications that never go away or reoccur...And for god sakes make it simple and easier. Really, check out Path app and you'll see how mobile should be done.

 

[sebastiannz]

I don't like the facebook app at all. It is slow and it is buggy. For instance, it clears notifications for new messages, but then when I go back into the app, sometimes I will be reminded that I have new notification. But I don't. They are the old ones. Dumb. I'm glad they are fixing it. Bet Google+ doesn't have these problems

 

[Apollo231]

very true,
However since i'm solely a casual browser, the fb app is decent enough for my needs, although flawed

True, but besides that an update will help with with Battery life which makes sense why Apple wants this little annoyance patched up ASAP. I was also referring to the iPad app that took forever to be life as well as any android format of the Facebook apps. Its 'decent' enough but there are a lot of features on website that are not found on the app itself, like deleting posts or change what group can see your post. You always have to go to the website to change those things.

 

[Illusion986]

Facebook app has been horrible for so long that i hare just given up on it...i guess ill believe it when i see it... Such big company takes years to make iphone app that works, hopefully will work

 

[duffmanth]

'Bout time, gotta be one of the worst iOS apps.

 

[bushido]

First order of business: allow me to copy the text in posts.

Second order of business: add a "share" button.

That is all

omg yeah its so annoying, how isnt it obvs to them

 

[AFPoster]

completely worthless. facebook making a smartphone is like microsoft making a vacuum, it just doesn't make sense. I do like that the only way some of these companies can compete is by hiring from the top firm.

 

[Kaibelf]

Honestly, Facebook seems to be doing their best to make me not want to use their products. Since this terrible web-app app came out, I have used their service about 75% less than I did before, because it's just so clunky and inconvenient. Great work, Zuck and Co!

 

[mantan]

Maybe they can use some of crackerjack Apple team who put together that fiasco of a Podcast app.....