Back in June I noted how Facebook’s iPad app has been notably absent from the App Store.
It’s practically unthinkable that almost 18 months after the iPad’s debut, Facebook still hasn’t released an official app for Apple’s market-dominating tablet. It’s certainly not because of a lack of demand.
Facebook’s iPhone app (iTunes) was released in July 2008 (when the App Store opened) and currently enjoys over 85 million monthly active users. And if that weren’t enough, Facebook has more than 350 million active users coming from mobile devices.
The weird part is that FB for iPad exists. Back in July Twitter user Marvin Bernal uncovered a hack that awakens iPad-native code in the Facebook for iPhone when you access if from a jailbroken iPad. Since then MG Siegler has posted copious amounts of screenshots of Facebook’s worst-kept secret in action.
So why is Facebook dragging its heels on what is surely a chart-topping iPad app?
Partially, developer squabbles.
The Facebook engineer working on the iPad app, Jeff Verkoeyen, claimed in a blog post Monday that the iPad app has been completed since May. In fact, he left Facebook for Google partially because FB was dragging its feet on its iPad app.
Infighting aside, it could also be a timing thing.
Details have emerged that Facebook may finally release its native iPad app at Apple’s October 4 media event in Cupertino. Mashable reports that Facebook will finally release its native iPad app at the event alongside a revamped iPhone app and possibly an HTML5-based mobile app marketplace.
MacRumors posted some dodgy screenshots of Facebook integration in iOS 5 — ala Twitter — but Facebook integration hasn’t been included in any of the iOS 5 developer releases to date, so they’re either fake or Apple is keeping FB under wraps until the event to avoid spoiling the surprise.
Hopefully the Oct. 4 event won’t turn into a giant Facebook love-fest with Zuckerberg taking the stage to announce the collaboration and demo the new apps. Nothing against the Zuck or anything, but will Apple give Twitter equal stage time?
Personally, I’m more of a Google+ man myself, but this will certainly come as good news to the almost 1 billion users prefer to use big blue.
Photo: Mashable
