How long since the iPad was made available to the public? 2 months? I’m really starting to wonder why it’s taking Facebook too long to come up with their own native iPad app. I’m pretty sure, Facebook is one of the most visited sites by iPad owners. Facebook for iPhone is one of the top apps in the App Store for iPhone. I’m pretty sure many iPad users would love to have the same app, right-fitted for the iPad.
Thankfully, there are two third-party apps that is solely dedicated for accessing Facebook – Sobees and Friendly Facebook browser. I have both on my iPad and have been alternately using both to check my Facebook account. Which is the better Facebook app? Read on to find out.
Sobees Lite and Sobees My Friends
Sobees Facebook app for iPad now has two versions – Sobees Lite ($0.99) and Sobees My Friends ($3.99). Both apps let you access your Facebook account and see updates of your friends. Sobees Lite (previously called Sobees for Facebook) is somewhat limited in features. It only lets you view your friends’ activities, view their profiles, see all pictures that have added recently by your Facebook friends and manage your events and birthdays. Sobees My Friends gives you additional features such as Facebook chat, additional homepage views, notifications, and friends’ photos.
Both Facebook apps sport a newspaper-like layout when presenting various Facebook information. Photos are displayed in high-resolution and updates are in real-time and very rare that the app suffers from lagtime if it suffers from it at all.
Generally, both Sobees Facebook apps are pretty good and functional. Facebook purists might however get turned off by this app as the interface is nowhere similar to Facebook. It’s an all new look and feel which some may like because of its refreshing approach to the whole Facebook on mobile experience.
You may download Sobees Lite here and Sobees My Friends here.
Friendly Facebook Browser
I was contented on using Sobees Lite to check my Facebook account using my iPad. It answers my need and the app was done pretty well. But that was until, Friendly Facebook Browser came into the picture. I tend to use it more than I use Sobees Lite. It’s a full-featured Facebook app for iPad that lets you chat with your Facebook friends, read or write Facebook messages, update your status, view your photos, view and respond to events, and keep up with your Facebook notifications. The app is also optimized for touch control and offers a full screen experience when reading newsfeed and photo albums.
What I really like about Friendly Facebook Browser is the user interface and layout. It’s almost the same as opening a web browser and visiting Facebook.com. The app gives you a well organized navigational menus to access various Facebook account information. The four major options include – Home, Profile, Friends, and Inbox. Each of the menus have subsets of information categories that are arranged in tab as well. For instance the Profile option gives your Wall, Info and Photos. Inbox displays your Inbox, Messages You Sent, and Updates.
Of course, while this app maybe great, it is not without flaw or shortcoming. For one thing, Facebook chat is not supported. And the photos are not being displayed in their proper resolution. All photos appear blurry. Other than those, Friendly Facebook Browser is an otherwise pretty good Facebook app for iPad.
Download link for Friendly Facebook Browser
Bottomline
So, now which is the better Facebook App? Personally, I like Friendly Facebook Browser for one simple fact – it is very Facebook like in terms of layout, appearance and interface. If you’re like me who prefers this kind of Facebook browsing on you riPad, Friendly Facebook Browser is the right app for you. But if you want something new, a refreshing approach to accessing Facebook then either get Sobees Lite or Sobees My Friends.
Bottomline is, both apps will let you enjoy visiting Facebook on your iPad.
