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"This is not a good sign. Barely a month into the first \"Facebook Phone's\" life, the Facebook Home-sporting HTC First price has been slashed from $99.99 with a two year contract to just 99 cents with the same AT&amp;T two-year agreement.\nAT&amp;T's own web site makes the situation look, if possible, worse, by displaying the original HTC First price, $350.99 and subtracting $350. That's a 99.72% discount.\nWhile this is great news for anyone who wants an attractive, workman-like 4G phone with Facebook Home built in at a cut-rate price, it does not bode well for this first HTC/Facebook collaboration and future Facebook Phones.\nTo put this in perspective, Apple iPhone and top Android handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S series typically don't see price reductions until new versions are announced or ship from manufacturers. The iPhone 5 has been at $199.99 (with a two year contract) since it shipped last fall. Its predecessor, the iPhone 4s, now sells for $99 (with a two year contract). That's a 50% reduction, and it didn't happen for well over a year. Similarly, with the Samsung Galaxy S4 about to ship to customers, the still-popular S3 is now selling for $99. Again, a 50% markdown.\n99% after just a month is almost unheard of and smells of Microsoft Kin-level disinterest. That phone, unveiled with much hullabaloo by Microsoft was pretty much dead on arrival and Microsoft quickly  switched gears to the more popular Windows Phone platform.\nWhile this might seem like an unfortunate turn of events for the nascent Android Launcher, a.k.a. Facebook Home, Facebook representatives told Mashable, \"We think this is a good move by AT&amp;T.\" So much so that the social media giant is promoting the deal on Facebook in this post.\nTo be clear, a select set of Android Phone owners can download Facebook Home on their own phones \u2014 no need to buy the HTC First to experience Facebook's take on an social smartphone start screen. At least a half million people have downloaded the launcher so far.\nAT&amp;T representatives told Mashable that the current promotion, which is available online and in stores, should not be seen as unusual. \"We do promotions like this all the time. (i.e., Lumia 920 is currently free in same channels).\" (We found the 920 for $99.) As for how the HTC First has been selling thus far, \"We don\u2019t comment on results of individual manufacturer handset sales.\" AT&amp;T also couldn't say how long the promotion would last.\nHTC echoed AT&amp;T, but offered no new information, telling Mashable, \"Promotional pricing is common in the mobile industry. AT&amp;T does promotions like this all the time. HTC doesn't comment on sales outside of our official financial announcements.\u201D\nThere is the chance that the new drastically reduced price could generate a flood of new interest and customers for the HTC First. Remember, Blackberry (formerly RIM) essentially gave away Blackberry Curves to corner the youth market \u2014 at least for a little while.\nWould you pay 99 cents for an HTC First with Facebook Home? Let us know in the comments.\nPhoto composite by Mashable\nBonus: What You Get for 99 Cents\n\n\nFacebook Home and HTC First Review\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHTC First with Facebook Home's Cover Feed\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nHTC First Starts with Google Account Sign In\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacebook-Home-Setup: The Login\nAs soon as your Google Account is in place, the phone ushers you into Facebook Home.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacebook-Home-Setup-: Logging In\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacebook Home with the Clock\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSwipe Left or Right to Scroll Through Updates\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacebook Home: Cover Feed\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDrag Your Avatar to Access Tasks\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLikes and Engagement Accessible Directly Through Cover Feed\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis is How You Make Someone a Chat Head\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChat Head with a Message Alert\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChat Heads Can Appear On Top of Any App\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChat Head Conversations Happen in This Tabbed Interface\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis is the Facebook Home App Launcher\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacebook Home Settings Menu\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacebook Home's Setup Screen Shows You How to Use It\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTap the HTC First's Menu Button to Access This Screen\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nShared Actions\nDon't want to use Facebook Home to launch certain actions? Choose the Android Launcher instead.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nFacebook Phone Dial Pad\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRegular Facebook Mobile\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGoogle Play Is in There, Too\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTurn Off Facebook Home\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2013/05/08/facebook-phone-now-99-cents/?cid=Mash-Product-RSS-Pheedo-Mobile-Partial&utm_campaign=Mash-Product-RSS-Pheedo-Mobile-Partial&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=rss>