Facebook encouraging employees to use Android instead of iOS 

Last week, it was asking them to use 2G Internet connection. This week, it’s all about using Android devices instead of their probably usual iPhones. Facebook is going all out in “encouraging” their employees to understand what the situation is like in developing countries where connectivity is really slow and where majority of the people probably don’t have iOS devices and are mostly on Android. This is apparently the new directive from the powers that be in the social media giant’s office.

Facebook’s chief product officer, Chris Cox, believes that by having their employees “give up” their iPhones (albeit, temporarily), they will be able to better understand how users are actually viewing and using their app by using Android devices instead. Smartphones running on this platform apparently make up 82.8% of the market share, particularly because of its ubiquity and its low price point as well.

Since there are approximately 18,796 distinct Android devices as of last year, creating a “seamless, unified experience” for the market is practically impossible. But at least, by using Android at work, the designers will be able to better understand what will make it a better experience for users in developing countries. “What we’re really trying to do is build empathy inside of the company and to really appreciate that the people we’re building for look less and less like us,” said Cox.

Now if only they can figure out and fix the problem of the Facebook app always taking up so much RAM and battery and why it keeps crashing. Let’s also see if any of these employees will heed the call to use Android.

VIA: The Next Web