Facebook delays U.K., France release of HTC First to improve software

Facebook has decided to indefinitely delay the release of the HTC First, the so-called “Facebook phone,” in the United Kingdom and France in an effort to improve the device’s software before entering another market.

The HTC First and Facebook Home, an interface for Android smartphones, launched last month in the U.S. The phone went on sale exclusively through AT&T but has struggled to gain traction.

The phone’s price was eventually dropped from $99 to $0.99 but rumors have circulated the device is still having a hard time selling and may be pulled entirely.

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Similarly, Facebook Home is available for download for a half-dozen Android smartphones, but not many users have chosen to install the software on their devices and those who have have given it poor ratings. The chief complaint is that with Facebook Home, users lose many of the customization options they normally get with Android devices.

As a result, Facebook said it will hold off on the European release of the HTC First in order to focus on improving Facebook Home first.

“We’re focusing the next few months on adding customization features that address the feedback we received,” a Facebook spokeswoman told the Times. “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.”

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