There is a lot of scuttlebutt going around that Apple and Facebook could make a major announcement during the Oct. 4 iPhone 5 announcement that could create much deeper ties between the two tech powerhouses.
Apple and Facebook have reportedly been at odds for a while, as Apple wanted Facebook integration with Ping but said that the social network’s terms were “onerous.” It’s unclear if Facebook could have saved the ill-fated Ping but it definitely could have helped. Additionally, Facebook and Microsoft have a very cushy relationship (Microsoft invested very early on) and there’s still no love lost between Apple and Microsoft.
Mashable is reporting that Apple and Facebook also had a bit of a falling out because the Facebook tablet app hit the TouchPad before the iPad, even though we now know that the Facebook iPad app has been functionally complete for a few months now. The rumors now say that the tablet app for the world’s largest social network could launch at the Oct. 4 event, which would be good news for many iPad owners.
Robert Scoble and others are also predicting that the partnership announced will be far-reaching, as we may also see the HTML5 version of the social network announced during the Apple event. While this may allow Facebook to make an end-around the App Store by letting users play with Facebook apps directly through the browser, this could also be an opportunity for Apple to showcase the HTML5 abilities in iOS 5 and the new device.
Apple’s iOS 5 will have Twitter deeply integrated and I’ve been using this for a while and find it very nice to be able to quickly tweet pictures but I would really be happy if Facebook could be built in system wide. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by being on Android for many years but being able to send pictures to Facebook directly from the stock camera app on an iPhone would be a small feature that really resonates with consumers.
We’ll be covering the event live for you friends, so be sure to keep it locked on IntoMobile.
[Photo credit: cultofmac]
