Four Reasons Facebook Needs an iPad App

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There is mounting speculation that a Facebook app for the iPad is imminent. Despite Mark Zuckerberg's assertion that the "iPad isn't mobile," the demand for a Facebook app and the success of alternative Facebook apps for the iPad suggest otherwise.

Here are four reasons that Facebook needs to recognize the iPad as a unique platform and develop an app for it:

1. Zuckerberg is wrong. The iPad is mobile. Yes, the Safari browser on the iPad is more capable than its iPhone equivalent, but the iPad--and every other tablet--is a mobile device. I don't have any complaints about navigating and working with the Facebook site on my PC, but the iPad is another story. The Facebook app on the iPhone is arguably one of the best apps available for the smartphone, and it makes working with Facebook on the go simple and intuitive.

2. Display. Granted, I can pinch and zoom, and resize Facebook to fit the iPad display in the Safari browser, but the Facebook iPhone app just fits the screen, and I would expect the same from a Facebook iPad app. The display is a fixed size, and Facebook should be able to deliver the content to fit on the iPad display without me sliding back and forth or pinching and zooming.

If the rumors are true, we may soon see a Facebook app like this on the iPad. 3. Photos. Facebook is one of the leading platforms for sharing photos online. This wasn't as big an issue with the original iPad because it lacked a camera, but now that you can snap pictures with your iPad, it would be nice to be able to easily post them to Facebook. The "Upload a Photo" option on the Facebook site expects to find a traditional file and folder structure to pull from, and doesn't work with the way photos are stored on the iPad. There is an option to upload via email, but choosing a photo from the library is a much more elegant method.

4. Checking In. Again, the iPad is mobile. That means, I take it with me when I go places. When I grab some lunch at a neighborhood restaurant, I'd like to be able to check in on Facebook Places. If there is a Facebook Deal available, I'd like to be able to take advantage of it. As the customer, I want Facebook to recognize the iPad is mobile so I can check in, and if I were the retailer, I would want Facebook to recognize the iPad is mobile so I am not ignoring potential customers with my Facebook Deals.

As a fan of the Facebook iPhone app and owner of an iPad, I am very hopeful that the current rumors are true. I have used a couple of the alternative Facebook apps on the iPad, and they are OK, but they don't really compare to the experience I have come to expect from the Facebook iPhone app.

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Facebook crafts an iPad app

Facebook plans to release an iPad app in the coming weeks featuring a "slick design," new Facebook Chat and Groups functionality, and an "amazing" photo and video experience, according to reports.

The news comes on the heels of another report that Facebook is prepping an HTML 5 web app for iOS devices. Also, Facebook is reportedly working on a new website optimized for the iPad. But Facebook's refreshed site is only meant to be a "supplement" to, and not a replacement for, Facebook's iOS apps, according to The New York Times.

The iPad App

Despite having a popular app for the iPhone, Facebook has yet to produce a version for the iPad. Instead, iPad users have been forced to turn to third-party apps such as Friendly, MyPad and Facely HD or be satisfied with Facebook's regular website.

But that's all about to change if the latest rumors are correct. Facebook's purported new iPad app has been more than a year in the making, according to The Times. Company CEO Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly deeply involved with its design and feature set. The new app will let you do things you'd expect such as upload photos and video directly in the app. The photos and videos will also be displayed as a full screen view and at full resolution, The Times says. The new iPad app is expected to be free, just as all of Facebook's mobile apps are.

Spartan is No Trojan

Sources have also told The Times that Facebook is working on an HTML 5 version of the site optimized for the iPad. But, the anonymous sources stressed, the new site is not meant to compete with Facebook's iOS applications available in the App Store. Instead, the new sites are a "supplement" to the native apps.

Those comments appear to be a direct stab at an earlier TechCrunch report that says Facebook is working on an HTML 5 site optimized for iOS devices. Facebook's plan, TechCrunch says, is to use the new site as a tool to "break the stranglehold [Apple has] on mobile app distribution."

Dubbed Project Spartan, Facebook's iOS-optimized site would give the company greater control over the user experience on iOS devices than would be possible if the company had to comply with Apple's app submission guidelines.

Project Spartan would reportedly turn Facebook's iOS-optimized website into a virtual mobile platform where users could use third-party apps through Facebook such as games and news reading apps. The new site would also rely on the use of Facebook Credits -- Apple does not allow third-party in-app purchase solutions in iOS apps. In other words, Spartan would try to compete with and circumvent Apple's third-party app model.

But now, a day after the Project Spartan claims hit, a new story appears talking about Facebook's alleged iPad app and a supplemental HTML 5 website optimized for iOS devices.

With all the rumors flying around, we can likely expect to see something new for Facebook's iPad users in the near future. But with two competing claims about what Facebook has planned, it's unclear what those new products will look like.

Connect with Ian Paul (@ianpaul) and Today@PCWorld on Twitter for the latest tech news and analysis.

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