Today HTC and AT&T announced the Status, an Android smartphone with heavy Facebook integration as well as a dedicated button to share content. The handset is the US version of the HTC ChaCha and is taking aim at those who can’t go five minutes without updating their status or checking out the noise that is Facebook.
With over 750 million Facebook users out there today, the Status stands a good chance of selling like hotcakes. Then again, every other smartphone in the world can access the site in some form or another so you’re basically paying for a Facebook button. The tight integration with the service will be a dream come true for some people out there, but some people just won’t get it. The handset could also appeal to those who crave the BlackBerry form factor but would rather have Android running on their device.
Oddly enough, the handset is pretty underwhelming when it comes to specifications. The Status ships with the same processor you’ll find on the T-Mobile G2, Qualcomm’s MSM7227, which is clocked at 800MHz. You’ll also find a 5 megapixel shooter on the rear side, as well as a VGA camera on the front for video chat. The 2.6 inch display 480 x 320 resolution may be a bit too small for some, but the addition of the QWERTY keyboard may be worth the screen real estate sacrifice. Luckily, the Status will ship with Android 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC Sense running on top, so it will at least be an aesthetically pleasing experience.
Expect to see the Status land on AT&T shelves sometime later this summer.
What do you think about this Facebook-centric phone? A must-have or will you just stick with the application?
Press release after the break