Hands-on with Facebook’s new native iOS app
I use Facebook on a daily basis from a variety of devices. My favorite way to get to my favorite social network is via Safari on either of my Macs: it’s quick and easy, and generally, fairly free of bugs. It’s also incredibly fast, and I can get where I need to go rather quickly. Unfortunately, for my iOS devices, it used to be the complete opposite.
You probably know that Facebook’s iOS app was originally coded in HTML5. With the old version, you were essentially using a web app to access the social network through your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Today, however, that has changed, as Facebook has updated its iOS app with native code that the company promises will make it “faster and easier to use.”
I’ve had the app on my iPad for a while now, and the answer is yes. “Scrolling through news feed is faster than ever,” and is also incredibly smooth. The UI has also been tweaked slightly, making text bigger and buttons more elegant. Overall, the new update makes the old app look ancient; this new one is modern and it works incredibly well.
Chat has also been revamped, now allowing you to share photos with whomever you’re chatting directly from the chat box.
The best part is that navigation and the way you use the app have pretty much stayed the same, so getting around the beautiful new app won’t take any time to learn. There are more options, of course, but they aren’t difficult to figure out; they simply make the app better.
To be honest, this is what Facebook’s original app should have been – not only in looks but also in performance. Generally, iOS devices are great performers, but even one bad app can make it feel cheap and under-powered. Luckily, today’s Facebook update fixes that problem; if you use Facebook on your iDevice at all, I suggest heading over to the App Store app and downloading the update.
How do you like the new update? Let us know in the comments! And remember, we’ve got separate Google Nexus 7 and $50 giveaways coming up that require you to encourage awesome discussions with other Pocketables readers by commenting beneath each of our posts, so practice now and make your entries really good for when the giveaway officially starts on September 1!
Download: iTunes
