Facebook just pushed out a much-needed update to its mobile users with version 1.5 of its Android app. This particular update's an important one because it adds two major pieces that were formerly missing: Chat and push notifications. Unfortunately, the push notifications only work on devices running Froyo or newer, and for everyone else there is still a painful lack of notifications for comments, likes, and wall posts.
First word on the update from users has been a mix of absolute joy, since they can finally use a single app for all their Facebook needs, and utter scorn -- due to an apparent increase in bugginess (lots of force-closures).
Commenters in both the Market and on various Android forums also seem less than impressed by the seemingly intentional shunning that the Zuckerberg clan is giving to notifications settings. Users whose devices can benefit from push are sure to be slightly happier, assuming it actually works. Everybody else, and that's a lot of people, will continue to be stuck with an app that they need to check manually if they care about what's happening on their wall -- which is where most of Facebook's interactions take place. Sadly, there are just as many people reporting that push notifications don't work on their Froyo-running phones as there are who say it's working. There's no section in the app's settings that confirm push is active, either.
In the end, bugs are sure to be taken care of with another, smaller update, and push notifications for some is better than none at all. That means version 1.5 invariably has more to offer than 1.4 did, it just hurts to see a company with Facebook's resources fall short in something as basic as an Android app.
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