Strategy Analytics: BlackBerry Facebook Mobile: Where Are My Messages?

Business Wire, July 2, 2008

Poor Message Location Taints Otherwise Excellent Application

LONDON -- The latest benchmark analysis from the Strategy Analytics Wireless Media Lab, "BlackBerry Facebook Mobile Application Cool, Easy to Use, but Where Are My Messages?" evaluates core features of the BlackBerry Facebook mobile application, including changing status, checking and replying to new messages, inviting Facebook friends, uploading and adding captions to and tagging pictures.

While almost all of the respondents were pleased overall with the mobile application's ability to complete most tasks, Strategy Analytics has determined that the Facebook mobile application has one major usability issue related to locating new messages. Also, a number of users had difficulty logging out of their accounts.

"All users expected to be able to access their message inbox through one of the main icons on the application homescreen," noted Christopher Dodge, User Experience Analyst at Strategy Analytics. "It seemed illogical to leave the BlackBerry Facebook application in order to navigate to the mobile web version for checking messages."

Paul Brown, Senior User Research Experience Analyst at Strategy Analytics, added, "Many users were impressed with the ability to upload photos to Facebook directly from the phone's camera album, and they enjoyed the ease with which they could tag photos and add captions."

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Strategy Analytics, Inc focuses on market opportunities and disruptive forces in the areas of Automotive Electronics and Entertainment, Broadband Connected Home, Mobile & Wireless Intelligent Systems Implementation Strategies and High Frequency Market intelligence. Headquartered in Boston, MA, with offices in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, S. Korea and China, Strategy Analytics works with clients through annual multi-client services, management team workshops and custom consulting engagements. For more information, please visit www.strategyanalytics.com.