If you’ve been following the saga of Facebook’s native iPad app, you already know that yes, it does exist and according to reports circulating on Monday from a former developer, it’s been “feature complete” since May. So what’s the holdup? The social network may be using it as leverage to cozy up to Apple.
Mashable is reporting that Facebook will finally release its native iPad app at the next Apple media event, which is widely believed to be one week from today -- Tuesday, October 4. While the focus will surely be on the next iPhone, Apple loves to dangle little morsels on other fronts, and getting an official Facebook app on the iPad would certainly be a worthy “one more thing.”
You’ll recall that the official native iPad app leaked out back in July, where it was found hiding in plan sight inside the code for the existing iOS app. According to a blog post on Monday from former Facebook engineer Jeff Verkoeyen, the social network has been sitting on a completed iPad app since May. The same developer has since left Facebook for Google, citing frustration with the company’s decision to sit idle with his work.
Apple and Facebook have had tense relations dating back more than a year, when the social network pulled their service from Cupertino’s Ping service the day iTunes 10 was released. Apple retaliated at WWDC 2011 by announcing iOS 5 integration with Twitter, even though screenshots have circulated showing that Facebook integration may have also been in the cards.
“The relationship between the two technology giants is warming up, however, thanks to the shared goal of beating Google -- and the simple fact that Facebook and Apple may need each other,” Mashable explains. “The former doesn’t have a mobile platform while Apple doesn’t have a social platform. The culmination of this renewed friendship: the launch of Facebook for iPad at Apple’s iPhone 5 media event.”
Facebook is also expected to provide a revamped version of their iPhone app at the same event, “with design and speed improvements that mimic the iPad app.” Apple and Facebook are also said to be working together on “perfecting the HTML5 platform,” despite rumors that Facebook was planning its own App Store killer dubbed “Project Spartan.”
It would certainly benefit everyone for Apple and Facebook to kiss and make up -- despite a wide variety of third-party native apps which attempt to bring Facebook to the iPad, none of them have quite fit the bill yet. Hopefully we won’t have long to find out…
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
(Image courtesy of Mashable)
