Buffy

Definition - What does Buffy mean?

Buffy is a code name for a Facebook smartphone that will integrate Facebook as its core platform. News of the phone, which is to be developed by Taiwanese cellphone maker HTC, was released by AllThingsD in November 2011, but the device is not expected to hit the market until late in 2013. The phone is expected to run on a modified version of the Android OS, which will be heavily modified to integrate Facebook's services. It will also support HTML 5 as a platform for applications.

Buffy presents a major opportunity for Facebook to move beyond being a social media platform and toward becoming a key platform for mobile devices.

Techopedia explains Buffy

The Buffy Facebook phone got its name from the popular TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The first attempt at a Facebook phone launched in 2009 under the name Social Layer, which developers eventually shortened to Slayer. This name was deemed too violent, so when the project was relaunched in 2011, it was renamed Buffy.

Although exactly what Buffy will be able to offer smartphone users in terms of unique services is not yet known, Facebook's capabilities could have some key advantages as a smartphone platform, including:
  • Better handling of contacts. Many current smartphone have clunky contacts management. Facebook's insight into the best way to reach any person at any time could be integral.
  • Social app discovery. On Facebook, users know what apps their friends are using, which could improve users' ability to discover interesting and useful new apps.
  • Frictionless sharing. Facebook's plan to make sharing more automatic may integrate nicely with a smartphone, which tends to be able to collect a lot of information about a user's location and activities.
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