Facebook for webOS gets a much-needed, and much-appreciated, 1.1.0 update

After a disappointing initial effort, Palm has unleashed version 1.1.0 of its webOS Facebook app. Currently only available via the update function but not the standard App Catalog, users will find new and improved access to their inbox, all their friends' photo albums, profiles, direct photo uploading, friend search and a list view for upcoming events and birthdays. The first thing we noticed was the initial news feed now matches the notification preferences set on the standard webpage stopping the inevitable flood of Farmville updates we blocked so long ago. Features still missing include chat, video and the ability to respond to friend requests but with a distinctly faster and tighter experience, it's certainly surpassed the mobile webpage as the best way to access Facebook on the Pre. Can't reach the update button right now? Check our gallery for a few more images or this video demo from PreCentral embedded after the break.

[Thanks, @Isaac]

webOS Facebook app 1.1.0

[bbalex Posted Mar 3rd 2010 9:54PM]

@bbalex Note to self and all: The update itself appears in the Preware feed, but clicking the Update button just takes you to the Facebook 1.0 app preselected in the AppCatalog (loving that American spelling) and with no offer of an actual update since the AppCatalog believes 1.0 is the latest and already installed

[b3nj4m1n Posted Mar 3rd 2010 11:50PM]

@bbalex try using the "update" app

[bbalex Posted Mar 4th 2010 4:11AM]

@b3nj4m1n Thanks but it says in my first comment that I've tried that already :)

[AlienSix Posted Mar 3rd 2010 9:51PM]

Quick poll: What is your favorite Facebook App? Based on looks and functionality.

Windows Mobile
Android
iPhone
Web Os

[Ezye1313 Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:02PM]

@AlienSix iPhone!

[soccerpro100cn Posted Mar 3rd 2010 11:46PM]

@AlienSix
i'd say both the iPhone and WebOS versions of Facebook are equally pretty. However, i'd have to give the edge to the iPhone. Facebook for iPhone is basically the full version of Facebook. Everything is accessible natively, including features not seen on the WebOS version like Notes, Chat, and Request management. You can also add your favorite Facebook friends to the Facebook start screen. Also, I didn't see notifications in the WebOS version. I know on the iPhone, there's a notification bar that pops up when you have unread notifications.

[KeegdnaB Posted Mar 4th 2010 1:14AM]

@AlienSix Zune HD....now that it works properly (and engadget has neglected to update their post about *hinthint*)

Does everything it needs to do and integrates VERY well with the Twist/Metro UI (whatever they're calling it now). I can't compare it to Android/iPhone/webOS but it is like night and day from the godawful Facebook for BlackBerry

[Cy Starkman Posted Mar 4th 2010 2:48AM]

@AlienSix

Well, I can only comment on the iPhone since there is no WebOS in Australia and Android is nearly non-existent.

The iPhone app is really good. Only missing the ability to find people and do video really. I have swapped to using it actually unless I want change a setting. It's faster and easier with no ads. Push notifications are very well done, i selected "pop ups" and badges. From what I'm reading it sounds a lot better than the WebOS version.

Enough about that though. I have a question. What's with Palm making the app, is that real or just a mistake? The iPhone app is made by Facebook

[pavlindrom Posted Mar 4th 2010 8:59AM]

@Cy Starkman Use Firefox with AdBlockPlus. Ads... gone!

[pavlindrom Posted Mar 4th 2010 9:00AM]

@pavlindrom Mostly, I'll admit that it's not all ads that go away.

[Twisthem488 Posted Mar 3rd 2010 9:52PM]

Its a fantastic app :)
Everything is smooth, and intuitive. Things like gallery viewing and photo uploads are native to webos. Its as simple as the mobile site, with nearly as much functionality of the real site (which is still very usable on the Pre)

[gmilliken37 Posted Mar 3rd 2010 9:54PM]

hoepfully something similar comes to android soon, ours is terrible

[EagleyeSmith Posted Mar 3rd 2010 9:58PM]

I like the UI of this app. But as w/ all WebOS I don't like the font or the UI at all. It just looks...cheap and boring.

[AlienSix Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:07PM]

@EagleyeSmith You like the UI but you dont like the UI. Which is it?

[mrkalel Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:09PM]

@EagleyeSmith lol... You do realize that the webOS font is prob. the prettiest & most readible of all the OS's?

[EagleyeSmith Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:35PM]

@AlienSix I like the UI of the Facebook App, minus the font in this case...ha. But as a whole I don't like the UI of WebOS just its functionality.

[EagleyeSmith Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:38PM]

@mrkalel Its readable but not the prettiest font of them all...Nope.

[Sawawa Posted Mar 3rd 2010 11:34PM]

@EagleyeSmith You are one crazy guy.

[EagleyeSmith Posted Mar 3rd 2010 11:41PM]

@Sawawa how so?

[danielbello92 Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:02PM]

I was able to update via the App Catalog perfectly fine.

[s2m0 Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:07PM]

Yay, this excites... what, 2 people?

And I have yet to spot a Pixi in the wild, so those 2 have to be Pre's.

[palmprefan Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:12PM]

I'm crying here all alone holding my 'stuck in old web OS' Palm pre in Canada. *pout*

[DestrictoEnse Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:14PM]

You're friends with Jason Calacanis? After this? http://sam.bluwiki.com/blog/2010/03/confession-i-was-one-who-came-forward.php

[RichardLawler Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:28PM]

@DestrictoEnse *shrug* I didn't give any credence to his tweets when I read them, if somebody else did that's pretty much on them.

[DestrictoEnse Posted Mar 4th 2010 6:29AM]

@RichardLawler I would question whether you even read the link. It was nothing about the iPad which was clearly a wind up.

[RichardLawler Posted Mar 4th 2010 10:49AM]

@DestrictoEnse nah I didn't read the link. now that i have, it's about something I care and know about even less than the iPad flap.

[hyperACTIV Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:14PM]

As cool as this is, I was hoping for more from Palm. Palm is the king of Facebook integration (Contacts, Calendar, etc.) and it seemed like they could pull a Windows Phone 7 and extend that to Photos, Videos, and maybe even Messaging/email, especially when they basically recreate those apps in the Facebook application itself. Still, at least they are finally at the curve, if not above it (facebook photos and info for contacts still dominate the iPhone's lousy contact system and pretty much everything else out there), and 2 facebook apps in 2 days (one for Zune HD as well) is pretty awesome, I have to admit.

[Sawawa Posted Mar 3rd 2010 11:41PM]

@hyperACTIV Facebook is already integrated into the Photos, Video, and Calendar applications. You can upload photos from the Photos application. You can upload video from the Video application. You can see your Facebook calendar in the Calendar application.

Chat support in the Messaging will surely be in the next WebOS update as Facebook now support the same XMPP protocol that Google Talk (which WebOS supports beautifully) already uses.

Your dreams are coming true!

Anyone who thinks that the mobile world would be a better place without Palm needs to wake up. The time to support this company (and their KILLER OS) is now. WebOS FTW!

[Jesse Dula Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:16PM]

Hey engadget, when are you going to update your app for WebOS?

[RichardLawler Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:27PM]

@Jesse Dula The devs are working on it, along with the new android version, etc but I have no idea when it's coming.

[Jesse Dula Posted Mar 4th 2010 2:48AM]

@Jesse Dula

@RichardLawler,

Thanks for the reply. Wasnt trying to come off as smug. I enjoy the app and can't wait until it's fully functional.

[undyingsum Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:17PM]

Facebook for Android and iPhone really need updates!

I just started using Facebook on my Nexus One and it doesn't seem as good as on iPhone. On iPhone, it's really annoying that the upload photo to Facebook doesn't work anymore.

[soccerpro100cn Posted Mar 3rd 2010 11:47PM]

@undyingsum I just uploaded an entire album from my 3GS today. Works fine for me.

[undyingsum Posted Mar 4th 2010 12:32AM]

@soccerpro100cn ya, it's working for me now. for a while i couldn't upload anything it would upload then say error, it can't be uploaded at this time.. i had looked it up and it seemed like a bunch of ppl were having this problem. thanks!

[Turd Ferguson Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:30PM]

Awesome job Palm! Very slick compared to the previous version.

[feelings Posted Mar 3rd 2010 10:31PM]

Here's a head to head comparison.

Just tried out this update on my Pixi. Worked perfectly. Simple to use, really straight forward interface and layout.

Immediately after downloaded the Facebook app for my Zune HD. Loaded next to nothing and couldn't even update my status (kept saying it failed).

So for Facebook on the go, I'll be sticking with my cell. Good job Palm.

[appleipad Posted Mar 3rd 2010 11:49PM]

looks nice. but no chat or friend request ?

[Wesscoast Posted Mar 4th 2010 12:07AM]

Oh man, Calacanis... F that guy

[TechDominator Posted Mar 4th 2010 1:14AM]

Boom-baby....gotta love webOS! =)

[LotusKid Posted Mar 4th 2010 1:59AM]

despite missing a few features the update is pretty damn sweet. close to iPhone's version.

investors and analysts be damned, long live webOS!

[Cringer Posted Mar 4th 2010 6:58AM]

I have avoided the first version of the Palm Facebook app like the plague, it was horrible. I have had this one open almost non-stop since I got it on the phone. Very nice.

[Cringer Posted Mar 4th 2010 7:01AM]

One more thing. After looking at the gallery pics, who's Pre are the pictures from and do they have every RSS reader for webOS installed? I see two in one of those pics. Is NewsReader further down the list?

[sarek Posted Mar 4th 2010 11:40AM]

Great job Palm. The Facebook app is so much more useful and extremely fast & responsive. I wonder why none of the webOS twitter apps are this fast. Would love to see some of the windows phone 7 series facebook/photo app integration in the future.

[Jman8 Posted Mar 4th 2010 12:45PM]

I've had my pre for 2 weeks today so Ive never done this before...

**how do you update individual apps? **

this will be wonderful to know for this, obviously, but for others in the future, too. THANKS!!!

[IronLantern Posted Mar 4th 2010 2:10PM]

Finally, the previous version was like a bad twitter app

[Consequence9 Posted Mar 4th 2010 3:17PM]

now available in the vanilla app catalog [on a verizon pre plus]

[BirD Posted Mar 4th 2010 3:51PM]

Great FB app, one of the many things missing from the Pre is now sorted. Anyone else notice that Canada just got 1.4 too?

[Jman8 Posted Mar 4th 2010 4:09PM]

how do i update this app??! i dont know how to update apps, PLEASE HELP!

[guribe94 Posted Mar 11th 2010 11:14PM]

thank god...that was the WORST thing ever