Consumers Not Impressed With Facebook Home

Facebook recently unveiled Home, its new Android mobile experience, but it doesn't appear that most users will be rushing to get it.

According to Twitter data collected last week by analytics firm Salorix, the overall sentiment surrounding Facebook Home is mostly neutral or negative. Much of those feelings stemmed from apprehension about privacy issues raised by Facebook Home.

The new software serves as a skin pulled over the Android operating system, modifying the phone's home screen and providing users with instant access to Facebook. But anyone who picks up your Facebook Home-enabled device can swipe their finger and infiltrate your social media account, posting updates, liking photos, or browsing friends' statuses - even if a PIN is enabled.

One-click access is Home's bread and butter, accessorized with on-screen notifications and options like Chat Heads, which allows text and IM conversations to continue without interrupting other apps, but also showcases friends' photos on the screen.

During and after Facebook's Thursday introduction of Home, which was live-streamed, Twitter users focused on the possibility of a full-fledged Facebook Phone rather than the Home app. Months of rumors about a Facebook-backed handset meant that Facebook Home ended up being a disappointment.

"Overall the event was a little more on the unexpected lines as the consumers were actually looking for a Facebook Phone," Salorix said.

On Twitter, 45 percent of Facebook Home tweets were real-time updates about the software launch and product features from the media; 25 percent were re-tweets. Social media users primarily focused on Facebook Home product features like Cover Feed, Chat Heads, and App Launcher, using hashtags like #Facebook, #Android, #FacebookPhone, #Tech, and #Home, according to Salorix, which compiled a word cloud of the most-tweeted phrases of the day (see below).

On Friday, HTC and AT&T will deliver the first smartphone to come pre-loaded with Facebook Home-optimized smartphone — the $99.99 HTC First. For more, see PCMag's full review and the slideshow above.

Also on Friday, Facebook Home will be available via Google Play on several Android-based smartphones. For more, check out How To Get Facebook Home, as well as PCMag's Hands On With Facebook Home.