Well, Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) seems ready to try again. The company announced a get-together for April 4, where another Android-based product or service will see the light of day.
Nobody knows exactly what Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) will present on Thursday, but it seems reasonable to guess at a custom Android version or even an entire hardware-and-software package with Essence of Facebook drizzled all over. An undated version of Facebook’s Android app would be a serious letdown, given the press attention this event will get.
This device (or Android-based software platform, perhaps) could be a game changer if it replaces regular voice calls with the voice chatting that’s built into Facebook’s messaging system nowadays. That feature would make voice lines obsolete while placing more importance on data plans. Keep an eye out for that possibility.
Then again, both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) already sport voice-enabled messaging apps that can be used over mobile data connections, not to mention a host of third-party alternatives. But you don’t see the industry turning upside down because you can voice-chat over Facetime or Google Chat, do you? A Facebook version of the same thing would just be another convenient option in a sea of me-too options. The only way Facebook would really make waves is if its products did away with old-fashioned voice lines altogether and forced us to tap into its own messaging system instead.
I didn’t expect another Android-themed Facebook product, given the abject failure of the first try. Now the company gets another chance to shock me — Facebook will be back in this column if Thursday’s announcement actually makes a difference.
3. Stop for this earnings beat
GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) closed out the short week with a 5.8% gain on Thursday. As it turns out, rumors of GameStop’s death have been somewhat exaggerated.
The company beat analyst expectations with earnings of $2.16 per share on $3.6 billion in revenue. The core business of dishing out game discs for traditional gaming consoles was weak, but GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) made up for that weakness with a 60% year-over-year jump in digital sales. Mobile games accounted for $100 million of the quarter’s revenue and may soon become a significant factor in the company’s overall results.
So GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) is adapting to a new era in video gaming. Even so, the company pins expectations of second-half strength on another helping of the Grand Theft Auto series as well as a new Sony Corporation (ADR) (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation console system slated for a fourth-quarter release. The high end of management guidance for the full year assumes that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) will introduce the next Xbox system in time for the holidays. So GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) is still clinging to traditional gaming as hard as it can.
The article 3 of This Week’s Biggest Surprises originally appeared on Fool.com.
Fool contributor Anders Bylund owns shares of Rackspace Hosting and Google, but he holds no other position in any company mentioned. Check out Anders’ bio and holdings or follow him on Twitter and Google+.The Motley Fool recommends Amazon.com, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Rackspace Hosting and owns shares of Amazon.com, Apple, Facebook, GameStop, Google, and Microsoft.
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