Facebook tends to be the first thing I check at the beginning of the day, and it’s also the app I’ll be browsing through 18 hours later.
It’s an app we expect to find as standard on Lumia devices, but it’s now also neatly integrated in devices like the Nokia Asha 205. I’ve been using Facebook on the Asha 205 for the past week – read on to find out how I’ve been getting on.
The Facebook button
Unlike other phones, you don’t have to spend time searching through the menus to find Facebook on the Asha 205. Instead, there’s a dedicated Facebook button on the left-hand side of the phone. Tap it, and the app immediately launches.
One of the things I really like about the 205’s Facebook app is the way it’s actually presented. The different features are all offered as large icons: News Feed, Messages, Friend Requests, Notifications, Events, Photos, Friends, Profile, Find Friends, Search, Pages and Settings. Move over each icon and you’ll be informed what it does.
There are also some great features integrated into the app, such as the ability to take photographs and upload them without having to close the app or open the camera. There’s a button at the top of the app, tap it and you can shoot a photograph to share with your friends.
The top of the app is taken up by a status update box. Again, all you have to do is click it and start typing to update your status. When you’re telling people know what you’re up to, you can also choose to check in, adding your location and letting your friends know where you are.
Head over to the News Feed, and it’s every bit as usable as Facebook on a computer’s web browser. It’s easy to see what updates people are making, and it’s also easy to join in any conversations. The News Feed function also integrates Friend Requests, Messages and Notifications, letting you know when something new happens.
Easy typing
Unsurprisingly, considering the QWERTY keypad, the Asha 205 excels when it comes to sending messages on Facebook. The design of the keyboard is perfect for me, and I much prefer it to using lots of touchscreen keypads. The landscape orientation of the screen also makes it equally easy when it comes to reading messages as well.
The Asha 205’s Facebook app offers everything else you’d expect to find, including the ability to search through all of your photographs, browse profiles, and keep up to dates with events.
Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was the speed of the Asha 205’s Facebook app; it works using the phone’s EDGE connection, with no 3G or Wi-Fi on offer, but notifications, updates and even photographs were always quick to show up.
It proves that you don’t need to compromise on features or usability just because you’re opting for a more affordable phone.