With the findings of a Facebook-backed study by research firm IDC revealing that smartphones are increasingly becoming the most popular devices in the US, Facebook's recently sent out invites for an April 4 media event - "Come See Our New Home On Android" - at its Menlo Park headquarters have led to speculations that the social network may unveil its much-rumored mobile handset at the event.

Close on the heels of the invitations sent out by Facebook on Friday, tech news site TechCrunch reported that the social network will probably announce a modified version of the Google Android OS with "deep native Facebook functionality;" while a `9to5 Google' report said that the company is working on the software for a new HTC-manufactured handset.

In case the reports turn out to be accurate, they would somewhat substantiate the speculations which have been making rounds about the `Facebook phone' which will essentially help the social network in better monetizing its mobile platform, as Facebook will feature prominently on the handset.

The rumor-mills have long been abuzz about the `Facebook phone,' although the social network has repeatedly denied any such plans, saying that it was more keen on weaving access to the social network into software running a wide array of handsets.

Towards that end, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had said at a TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco last September: "We want to build a system deeply integrated in every device people want to use."