I’ve played with the new version of Facebook for the iPhone today – it’s at http://iphone.facebook.com/, you can play with it from a regular browser - built by Joe Hewitt of Parakey/Facebook/iUI fame. More info at Mashable - the word Stunning is right-on.
This is the best example yet that there’s value to an iPhone-specific user experience (rather than just your mobile browser – which Facebook already did well – or the standard Safari experience). The best other innovations I’ve seen in this space – the start that Leaflets had, for example, though I haven’t seen anything come out of there for a while – aren’t really in the same league.
These screenshots don’t really do justice to the fluidity of the experience – instead of a new page load for every tap, there’s a screen wipe. Only the first page load takes what seems like any time at all, everything else is fast. The pages are beautiful:
Updating status is one-click:
Searching looks like the address book UI – looks like Joe didn’t share all of the iPhone interface mimicry just yet:
Profiles are crisp:
Through and through, the details are just right. It’s awe-inspiring work.
