Facebook phone codenamed Buffy to arrive in 12-18 months

The much talked about "Facebook phone" will be seen hitting the markets in the next 12-18 months. Codenamed "Buffy", based on the popular vampire slayer series, the so far rumored phone will be manufacturers by HTC.

Interestingly HTC itself has been catering to the people's Facebook needs. The company this year launched HTC Chacha, a mobile phone with a dedicated Facebook button. Apart from HTC Chacha, Vodafone Blue 555, HTC Salsa and the upcoming Motorola Motokey also are among the top contenders who will be fighting for the Facebook lovers attention with "Buffy".

However unlike other dedicated Facebook phones, Buffy promises to bring a  more deeper integration into the mobile interface, bringing friends and social activities together. It seems that the Facebook's official phone will run on a "heavily modified version of Android" and will support apps.

A Facebook's spokesman told Allthingsdigital, “our mobile strategy is simple: We think every mobile device is better if it is deeply social. We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers to bring powerful social experiences to more people around the world.” According to the website this indicates "a significant shift for Facebook, which has focused much of its mobile work on light collaborations with hardware makers looking to create more socially-oriented phones."

The Buffy's core plan is in sync with Facebook's strategy. Vaughan Smith, Facebook's VP for partnerships and corporate development  had stated at the recent Mobile Asia Conference in Hong Kong, that “Facebook is the number one reason that people are buying mobile data and Facebook is the catalyst for people to spend more money on smartphones. That’s going to enable our operator partners to make more money and to help take users to where we all want them to go."

At present Facebook has a staggering 350 million of its 800 million users globally accessing it on mobile devices, looks like Buffy will indeed slay some competitors.