The Buckingham

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According to New York Times columnist Nick Bilton, a Facebook smartphone is in the works for a release next year.

Bilton shared that certain individuals “briefed on Facebook’s plans” have disclosed to him that the company has hired more than six former Apple engineers that worked on the iPhone and iPad in order to help create the company’s mobile device.

These claims come after previous speculation on a Facebook phone by AllThingsD.com, DigiTimes.com, and TechCrunch.com.

Facebook declined to comment on the reports. Instead, representatives directed Bilton to a statement the company had made to AllThingsD.com, which reads, “We’re working across the entire mobile industry; with operators, hardware manufacturers, OS providers, and application developers.”