[TECH NEWS] FACEBOOK LAUNCHES SKYPE POTENTIAL ALTERVATIVE FOR ANDRIOD USERS

Facebook has officially launched ‘Hello’, another oddly vague name for the new Android dialer, which is available on the Google Play App Store for free starting today.

 

The dialer taps into Facebook’s database when making a call, pulling up information stored on the number like photo, biography and other relevant information. After the call is finished, Facebook will show website and email addresses, for follow up messages.

Instead of taking up minutes on the phone, Facebook pushes most phone calls over VoIP, similar to Skype, Viber and WhatsApp. That should save some money if the user is normally on WiFi, although LTE costs can make the call more expensive in some cases.

Finding information on a restaurant or business establishment has never been easier, as long as they have a page and information added. Users can type of a few words, and Facebook will automatically start searching for the most relevant place based on location and keywords.

It has been designed to fit with Google’s Material Design UI, but with the blue and white color scheme it is distinctly Facebook esque. The social network has no plans to monetize the service, hoping first that people actually download and user the dialer.