&gt; There&#x27;s likely no technical reason why you couldn&#x27;t use a pc instead of a phone […]<p>Any personal computer built in the last five years can do anything a smartphone or tablet can in terms of processing power and connectivity. A smartphone <i>is</i> a computer with hardware that enables it to use cell phone networks and make calls.<p>My inner cynic strongly suspects that Facebook and other similar corporations <i>really</i> like the control they have on the overall user experience on the two major mobile operating systems; i.e., <i>eyeballs on a smartphone or tablet are worth more than those on a general purpose computing device</i>.<p>Too much freedom on a personal computer; with browsers that feature all kind of privacy enhancing add-ons such as ad-blockers and tracker-blockers. Much harder to monetize.