The life of the HTC First—also known as the Facebook Phone—may be over in the United States, according to The Register. AT&T has sold out of the First and has no plans to order any more.
Facebook and AT&T were in an official agreement to sell the HTC First exclusively on the mobile carrier.
The Facebook Phone is the only handset to be pre-equipped with Facebook Home. In May, AT&T announced it would no longer carry the phone due to the First’s terrible sales.
The First started at $99.99 and then was completely obliterated to 99 cents—which prompted many analysts to believe the phone was falling fast.
According to AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega, the phone was not a complete failure.
"We sold a bunch more when we lowered the price," he said Monday according to CNET. "We sold everything we had on that."
Just because the mobile carrier sold out of the phone does not make it a success, according to CNET.
The HTC first was supposed to be Facebook’s step in the mobile world. However, many realized the phone was unpopular. Those fears were confirmed when AT&T dropped the Facebook phone almost $100 from $99 to $0.99. Things got even worse after AT&T announced it would eventually stop carrying the phone.
De la Vega said consumers can still order the phone online even though AT&T is finished with the inventory.
Despite the phones shortcomings, De la Vega believes the experience can help. He recalled the Motorola ROKR—the music-focused phone which was Apple’s first step into the cellphone world. He said that experience helped construct the iPhone.
"We have a great relationship with Apple just like we have a great relationship with Facebook," the CEO said. "We look forward to working with them to make Home better."
