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The first adverts for Facebook Home — the social network’s Android launcher that launched last week — have aired, and they’re about as different to each other as you can get.
The first shows a man boarding a tedious business flight that gets a whole lot more interesting when he powers up his phone and sees Facebook Home. His friends start popping out of overhead lockers, in the aisles, the seats behind him… everywhere. The second ad is more of a traditional Apple-style affair, saying how Facebook Home will improve your life. I’ve embedded them both, so check them out and let me know what you think.
I suppose the idea behind the first ad is to show how you can liven up any moment in your life by seeing what your friends are up to. Maybe I’m just a cynic, but if I was on a boring business flight, I wouldn’t want to see my friend kicking back on a sun lounger. I’m a bit wary of the fact Facebook Home brings your friends in regardless what you’re doing too. Yes, it’s great the phone is centred around people, but mobiles are basically mini computers now, capable of all sorts of things. If I’m reading an article, watching a movie, or playing a game, I don’t want my pals popping up telling me what they’ve had for dinner.
As I say, the second is more of a traditional ad from a technology company, showing how its products bring people together. It even has the Apple-esque music, mimicked so well by this British cider company.
Facebook Home will make its debut on the HTC First, then be available as an app for other Android handsets. It’s no more of a privacy worrythan the regular Facebook app, according to the social network. If you don’t like it, you can always switch it off, which one Microsoft exec may well be doing, seeing as he claims the Redmond company made all these innovations two years ago.
Are you excited about Facebook Home? Or do you share my worries? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
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Facebook Home hands-on
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