Facebook will also reportedly release a revamped version of its iPhone app

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Facebook will also reportedly release a revamped version of its iPhone app with design and speed improvements similar to the iPad app, according to two sources familiar with the situation cited by Mashable. Facebook is also expected to release a revamped version of its iPhone app and may unveil an HTML5-based mobile app marketplace.

This new information follows just hours after we learned Facebook engineer Jeff Verkoeyen quit the company to take a job on Google’s mobile team, which he worked at for a few months in 2007. The Facebook iPad app, which leaked earlier this year, has been in limbo at Facebook for the past few months. That much was made clear in a blog post Monday by former Facebook engineer Jeff Verkoeyen.


The problem, according to two sources familiar with the situation, has been a combination of timing and a strained relationship with Apple. Facebook was also supposed to be integrated into iOS, but instead Apple went with Twitter in iOS 5.

The relationship between the two technology giants is starting to turn around, however, since they both share a mutual enemy: Google. Facebook doesn’t have a mobile platform and Apple doesn’t have a social network. If this really is true, the Facebook apps for iOS could be just the beginning of much bigger things to come.

The original Apple iPad was released 17 months ago: in April 2010. An iPad version of the Facebook app has been expected since pretty much day one. We've also heard rumors that Facebook was supposed to be integrated into iOS. This was meant to happen years ago, but disagreements on both sides eventually led to Apple integrating Twitter into iOS 5.

Apple isn’t to blame here though – Facebook is. The relationship between the two technology giants is warming up, however, thanks to the shared goal of beating Google -- and the simple fact that Facebook and Apple may need each other.

This could also launch at Apple's upcoming iPhone event, though our sources wouldn't commit to a specific launch date for the platform. Facebook decided not to launch it at f8, as it didn't want to water down the announcement of the new Facebook Open Graph and Timeline. If RIM can quickly release a decent Facebook app for its BlackBerry PlayBook, Facebook not doing the same for the Apple iPad is clearly not due to technical reasons.

This led to the latest rumor, which suggested we might finally see the official app at Facebook’s 2011 f8 developer conference. Unfortunately, it didn’t make the cut, again. Now, everyone is looking to next week as the next possible release date. When we said last week that Facebook would be profoundly changed, we weren't just referring to the new Facebook Open Graph and the "frictionless sharing" touted by Mark Zuckerberg. We were also talking about its secretive effort to become a mobile platform for the social web. And thanks to Apple, it looks like that effort is about to come to fruition.