After all the hype and excitement surrounding Facebook’s press conference Thursday afternoon (read my prediction post here) it didn’t exactly end how many predicted. Almost everyone thought a Facebook phone was debuting, but instead Zuckerberg announced a “family of apps”. You’re probably asking yourself what does he mean a “family of apps”?! Well the “family of apps”, also known as Facebook “Home”, is Facebook’s attempt to be the “soul” or center of your phone. Because as Zuckerberg stated at the conference, “[t]he home screen is really the soul of your phone. You look at it 100 times a day.”

Facebook “Home” will transform your traditional phone lock screen by putting Facebook content front and center. When you initially look at your home screen, visual content from your News Feed will be present. Once you unlock the screen, you’ll see that same content, but you’ll be able to interact with it. For example, you’ll be able to like a status or add a comment from the unlocked screen. Pictures, on the other hand, will flip automatically or you can do that yourself.

Of course you can’t forget a messaging system while talking about Facebook. So “chat heads” (the new name of the Facebook messaging system) will combine Facebook messenger with your SMS text messages. Messages, which are accompanied with a picture of the sender’s profile picture enclosed in a little circle, will pop up immediately no matter what you’re doing. You can decide to open the message (without leaving the app or screen your on) or dismiss it and save it for later, all with a single touch.

For some Android phones the fun at “Home” begins on April 12th via the Google Play mobile store. You will be able to choose whether to permanently install it or do a one trial. On the other had, “Home” will only be optimized for Samsung’s Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II and the HTC One line of phones. It will run on the Galaxy S 4 and the HTC One when those phones are released. As for a version for tablets, it will be released within several months. There has been no mention of when Apple products will get “Home”.

So what do you think about Facebook Home? Are you going to purchase it?