14 DAY TRIAL // Facebook, the application that helped Microsoft advertise its Windows Phone 7 mobile platform as the perfect place for socialization, has just been updated to version 1.1. Users will be able to update to the newer version directly from the Marketplace hub on their smartphone.
Prior to this update, Windows Phone 7 users reported rather unfortunate experiences with Facebook, as the application was slow, unresponsive at times and with little features to use.
Before WP7 owners begin to use the Facebook app, they should know that the app makes use of the phone's location services, data connection, sensors, web browser, phone identity and RunsUnderLock option.
Facebook 1.1 for Windows Phone 7 brings two new major features: Places and Photo tagging. In addition, the application has received a huge boost in performance, its interface has been graphically improved and the application is now allowed to continue running under screen lock.
With Facebook Places, users will be able to check in to a location (bar, store or restaurant). The check-in process will then appear in user's friends' news feeds, as well as under the “Recent Activity” section on the Facebook page for that place.
Still, one thing is not changed and may bother hardcore Facebook users: the keyboard does not follow the application's theme. This means that users will still get a black-themed keyboard, even though Facebook shows in white and blue.
This is rather odd, since, even though Microsoft does not allow third-party application developers to modify any of the Windows Phone 7 components, the Facebook application has been developed by Microsoft itself.
However, even with the new boost in performance and features, users report the application is still way behind its counterparts from other mobile platforms (Android, iOS).
As a side note, the equivalents of the application for Android and iPhone have been developed by Facebook.