Launch of HTC’s Facebook Phone in Europe Delayed

By Paul Thomson :: 2:31 PM

After disappointing sales number and lackluster reviews in the U.S., HTC and Facebook are delaying the launch of HTC’s new Facebook Phone in Europe.

The HTC handset runs a special version of Facebook software called Home that makes the social network into a focused feature on the phone. Facebook created Home with the hopes that it would better engage Facebook users with the network, and change the relationship Facebook users have with their phones. Home is a replacement for the Android OS traditional home screen, and offers special Facebook feeds and options for chat.

When Home was initially launched, it was only available on HTC’s First smartphone, before being made available to other select Android-based handsets. It is a free download from the Google Play store.

HTC had grand plans for the Facebook deal, and had hoped that it would boost sales of the First handset. This is not the case, as retailers have heavily discounted the First after customer demand did not surface. AT&T, the largest mobile carrier in the US, has also since dropped the handset from its lineup.

In Europe, two carriers, EE and Orange, had been slated to carry the First handset.

Facebook released the following statement regarding European availability of the new HTC phone: “While we focus on making Home better, we are going to limit supporting new devices and think it makes a lot of sense for EE and Orange to hold off deploying the HTC First in Europe.”