HTC First Delayed Indefinitely in the UK

The UK launch of the HTC First, the Facebook Phone, announced alongside the social networks Home launcher app, has been delayed indefinitely.

The delay is apparently intended to give it time to address the feedback it has encountered since the launch of Facebook Home, which comes preloaded onto the handset, and improve the app experience.

“Were focusing over the next few months on adding customisation features that address the feedback we received,” reads Facebooks statement on the decision. “While we focus on making Home better, we are going to limit supporting new devices and think it makes a lot of sense for EE and Orange to hold off deploying the HTC First in Europe.”

The move doesnt come as a great surprise, given that AT&T, which exclusively carried the HTC First in the US, is reportedly discontinuing availability of the handset, due to poor sales.

The move reflects the lukewarm reception that both the HTC First and Home – which currently has a rating of 2.3 out of 5 on Google Play, with one-star scores making up more than half of the 17,990 reviews – have gotten so far. 

An EE spokesperson confirmed that it will “shortly be contacting those who registered their interest with us to let them know of [the delay]”, but pointed out that it is not reneging on pre-orders – interested customers were simply asked to register their interest in the handset, and no money changed hands.