Earlier today, @evleaks tweeted the specs of an upcoming HTC phone which is presumed to be the Facebook phone.

It’s not actually a Facebook phone that runs on a mobile operating system made by the social networking giant with the hardware made by HTC, but an HTC phone with a dedicated Facebook button, and Instagram will be hugely integrated into the device as well.

This is nothing new for HTC, which released two notable Android handsets in 2011: the Salsa and ChaCha, which both have a dedicated Facebook button.  The two phones weren’t that popular since you can easily access Facebook on any smartphone with a Facebook app, and you have an Internet connection either via your carrier or WiFi.

Based on the leaked specs, the HTC device is not bad for a smartphone but it doesn’t belong in the high end smartphone category.  The reason behind this may be due to the fact that this HTC phone will be directed at emerging markets to give them uninterrupted Facebook access.  And with the rumored Instagram integration, the phone would entice more users to sign up for the Facebook-owned photo editing service and share more filter-laced photos.

We have apps. Do we need a Facebook phone?

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Just like the Salsa and ChaCha, the HTC Myst will probably be lost in the see of Android devices already in existence.

Rumors about the Facebook phone have been popping up in the news since 2010 and was resurrected in 2011 when it was dubbed as Project Buffy, yes, just like the ‘90s show about the vampire slayer.  Talk of the rumored phone soon died down, but resurfaced twice in 2012.  Then before Facebook unveiled its Graph Search, the rumor about Project Buffy was once again resurrected.  And with Facebook’s revelation of a fresh News Feed, hope for the Facebook phone is alive once again.