How Social Networking Is Impacting Smartphones

Accessing the Internet and social networking sites via smart phones has only been increasing since it’s inception. Mobile users are starting to account for more and more time spent accessing social media, all thanks to smart phone features that make it fast and easy to connect where ever you are. Apps like Instagram (now owned by Facebook, and ranked more popular than Twitter for mobile users) have changed the way brands are designing the latest mobile handsets, and how they organize the user interface.

Having Facebook features integrated throughout mobile operating systems is now expected, now that all three of the major mobile operating system updates are on board. The Nokia Lumia 900, for example, running Windows Phone, utilizes the “Live Tiles” icon system that shows you unread notifications updates and messages at a glance.

The Samsung Galaxy S3, boasting Android OS, makes Facebook one of it’s top shortcut priorities by using the lock screen to allow you to open up the social networking app with a single tap; while others are using it to let you view the latest status updates from friends, without the need to even unlock your phone first.

Apple has even come around with their latest update iOS6, the iPhone 5 takes ques from Android, and has integrated a notification menu, as well as syncing data from your Facebook account to add friend’s birthdays to your calendar, and contact information to your address book. Regardless of the operating system, all phones now seem to have a “share” option in the shortcut menu for the camera, or when viewing pictures, allowing the user to share across all of their social networking accounts instantly.

It’s obvious social networking is front and center when smart phone software development is being considered, but what about hardware? Although social networking integration is subtle and un-intrusive in many handsets, there has been one extreme example of it’s influence over the smartphone market: The HTC Status.  The first phone to have a dedicated Facebook share button, which instantly allows you to connect with friends, chat, share photos and video, or “check in” locally. With a full QWERTY keyboard, it’s obvious it was designed specifically for social networking fans. So far, it doesn’t seem to have sparked a new trend, but it provides yet another example of how strong the influence of social networking can be.

Post contributed by Chloe Parker, who writes for MobilePhones.org.uk.