Facebook Feature Phone App Crosses 100 Million Threshold

The Facebook experience for developing markets (e.g., India) is called Facebook for Every Phone. It launched in July 2011 and was the product of the company’s acquisition of Snaptu. This morning, the company announced that the smartphone app-like experience for feature phones now has 100 million users around the world.

According to data released by Facebook in Q1, the company has more than 750 million mobile users around the world, and mobile now contributes more than 30 percent of ad revenue. Last week, Reuters reported that June mobile traffic was up in the US and UK, 18 percent and 22 percent, respectively.

Facebook for Every Phone is an important part of the Facebook strategy: to attract and retain mobile users not on smartphones, which are too expensive for many people in developing markets.

Affluent consumers around the world will migrate to smartphones. However, there will be tiers of users who may not ever be able to afford them. Facebook for Every Phone ensures that the company has a product for those people and doesn’t miss out on many millions of potential mobile users.

The following video, illustrating the Facebook for Every Phone experience, was produced in 2011.

About The Author

Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.