HTC First Release Date: Available Today on AT&T for $99 With Two-Year Contract

The HTC First with Facebook Home is now available from AT&T for $99 with a two-year contract.

The First is currently the only smartphone designed specifically to be used with Facebook Home, the suite of Android apps that overlays the stock Android experience to bring Facebook content and features to the fore.

The home screen includes Cover Feed, a mobile version of the Facebook News Feed, and all phone notifications and messaging are integrated with Facebook's own comprehensive messaging system.

The HTC First will only be available from AT&T, and the carrier is placing high expectations on what is admittedly a mid-range phone. This spring AT&T plans to showcase the First as its flagship phone, rather than the Samsung Galaxy S4 or even the HTC One.

It does seem a strange decision, and perhaps one that was made without HTC's input, since it seems likely the phone manufacturer would prefer its One model receive as much publicity as possible.

HTC is struggling to break back into a mobile market dominated by Apple and Samsung, and while the company has doubled down on its advertising budget, sales are down sharply after recent product delays due to component shortages.

The move is probably an attempt by AT&T to cozy up to Facebook, as the carrier has typically cultivated ties with the tech giant in the past.

For consumers who still want the Facebook Home experience but can't or won't switch to AT&T and an HTC First, Facebook Home is also available today as a series of downloadable apps from the Google Play Store.

The HTC First features a 1.4GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, a 4.3-inch 720p Super LCD display, a 5-megapixel camera rear-facing camera, a 1.6-megapixel front-facing camera and runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and Facebook Home.

Check back for the latest information on the HTC First as it becomes available.