On Oct. 29, Facebook's chief product officer, Chris Cox explained at a press briefing that his company urges engineers in its product team to switch from using iOS to experiencing Android on their personal phones.
The unusual request is part of Facebook's global extension plan, in which the social network aims to conquer emerging markets such as India and Brazil. Facebook currently features 1.5 billion accounts and Mark Zuckerberg is keen on expanding that number.
As smartphone numbers in Europe and the United States are maxed out, different regions of the world still have a huge growing potential. People from these areas are poorer than those from North America and Europe, therefore, are more likely to purchase affordable Android smartphones than premium handsets from Apple.
"I am mandating a switch of a whole bunch of my team over to Android, just because people, when left up to their own devices, will often prefer an iPhone," Cox said, as cited by Wired. The quote, however, applies mainly to people from the Silicon Valley.
The number of employees who will make the switch remains undisclosed, but Cox pointed out that it is essential that his team fully understands what it means to use Facebook on Android.
The presentation of this initiative happened simultaneously with Mark Zuckerberg's trip to India, where he made a strong case for enlarged online access. Facebook used a vast array of communication tools in the briefing, from slideshows to videos, which sent out a powerful message: emerging markets are the place where Facebook wants to be next.
The social media company initiated a complimentary system to help its developers understand the reality of using Facebook in developing countries. The so-called "2G Tuesday" program allows employees to test their work on low Internet speeds, simulating the connectivity environment of Facebook users from Africa or Asia.
Aside from Facebook, other global players have their eye on international markets as well.
Google, for instance, announced a partnership with three Indonesian carriers for the start of Project Loon in 2016. The efforts of mobile data providers and Google will come together to spread connectivity in Indonesia, where around 30 percent of the 255 million population has Internet access.
According to Google's most recent update last month, Android now has 1.4 billion active users.
