Let’s not beat around the bush – most social media networks have an iOS bias. Updates come out faster, features are implemented first, or their employees all prefer iOS over Android – whatever it is, the Android community is acutely aware of it. It’s also caught the attention of Facebook Chief Product Officer, Chris Cox, who thinks the preference of his employees to choose iOS devices is going to hamper Facebook’s attempts to spread into emerging markets.
“I am mandating a switch of a whole bunch of my team over to Android, just because people, when left up to their own devices, will often prefer an iPhone,” said Cox yesterday at a briefing at Facebook headquarters.
Now, we could harp on about bias till the end of time, but truth be told, Cox’s decision is extremely logical for Facebook. In emerging markets, the iOS platform isn’t particularly popular due to its high price, and the only lower priced products are naturally Android. This should give Facebook a better understanding of how lower spec Android devices work (or not work) with their app. To be able to know what this feels like, Facebook is also asking its employees to take part in “2G Tuesdays” where their devices can simulate a 2G network to see just how slow devices in aforementioned emerging markets are. Hopefully this will mean more of a focus on Android and better performance for lower spec devices in the near future.
What do you think about this change at Facebook? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
