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Facebook puts HTC First launch on hold in the UK to 'focus on making Home better'

Facebook puts HTC First launch on hold in the UK to 'focus on making Home better'

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HTC First stock (875px)
HTC First stock (875px)

The HTC First, an Android smartphone collaboration between HTC and Facebook, will not be coming to the UK — at least for now. Originally scheduled for a summer release via EE and Orange, Facebook confirmed to The Verge that it is "going to limit supporting new devices," and has asked EE and Orange to hold off deploying the HTC First while it works to make Home "substantially better."

Facebook's statement:

We've listened to feedback from users on their experience using Home. While many people love it, we've heard a lot of great feedback about how to make Home substantially better. As a result we're focusing the next few months on adding customization features that address the feedback we received. While we focus on making Home better, we are going to limit supporting new devices and think it makes a lot of sense for EE and Orange to hold off deploying the HTC First in Europe.

Facebook Home currently has an average rating of 2.3 (out of 5) from 17,983 reviews on the Play Store, just over a month after it launched. It was originally set to on launch on a significant delay, giving its operator launch partners an exclusivity period but Facebook modified its plans to make Home available as a Play download the same week that the First launched. Since then, rumors have indicated that the First is hovering near death following poor US sales. AT&T later added fuel to the fire when it cut the price of the First from $99 to just 99 cents on contract. While today's news is primarily focused on Facebook, it's another blow for HTC — the company is losing employees, experiencing production issues, and now losing orders for the First in Europe.