After months of waiting, Facebook has finally released its first ever app for the Apple iPad.
On Monday, the social networking site announced that users of the Apple iPad will finally have a Facebook app, designed specifically for the device. Today, more than a year and a half since the tablet was launched; iPad users only had to use the Facebook for iPhone app or a number of third-party apps.
“Many of you have been asking about Facebook for iPad. Today’s it’s finally here,” wrote Facebook Mobile Engineer Leon Dubinsky in a blog post. “With the iPad app, you get the full Facebook experience right at your fingertips…. Photos really shine on the iPad. They’re bigger and easy to flip through, like a real photo album.”
The Facebook app for iPad, which can now be downloaded from the Apple App Store, has a left hand menu for apps, games, lists and groups. Friend requests, notifications and messages are located at the top of the screen. Notifications are also updated real time, just like the normal version of the service.
Dubinsky also noted that the app has a number of new features, like the Facebook chat, where users can chat with their friends via the app. The app also enables users to play games in full-screen mode and it can record HD videos and stream to Airplay devices.
Facebook’s Chief Technology Officer Bret Taylor said that the app’s release was delayed because it “just wasn’t ready yet.” He said that the company wanted to make sure that it was taking advantage of the capabilities of the tablet before its release. “We really feel that we have built an app that takes full advantage of touch, photos and chat,” he added.
