At Facebook’s Mobile Event this morning in Palo Alto, Mark Zuckerberg announced that among the various location- and mobile-oriented updates the company was making today, that updates to its Android and iPhone apps are now available.
And that’s great news for Android users, as Zuckerberg admitted that the Android app has always “been a little behind.” Until today, Android users didn’t have access to Places or Groups via the Facebook app (although the latter was unavailable on the iPhone app as well).
But it’s Places in particular, particularly after today’s big push for “mobile, social, and local” at Facebook’s event, that will be a crucial addition for Android users.
Today’s updated version of the Android app adds Places and Groups, as well as improves the Notifications from within the app. The Android app still lacks the Chat feature, something iPhone users can still gloat about. But today’s release brings the Android app closer to parity with the iPhone.
Well, right up until you compare it with the improvements rolled out today to the iPhone app’s interface.
The iPhone now gets the Groups feature too. But in addition, there’s a new look to the News Feed, which now makes it easier to add photos and check-ins, not merely status updates. Within the new Groups feature, similarly, buttons urge users to add photos and/or posts.
Both Android and iPhone apps are available for download now in their respective stores.
