The thing is, everyone I know uses Facebook the website but hates Facebook the company. I don't see the Facebook brand selling phones (I recall they rated on the bottom of brands in some study).
I think a Facebook phone will be massively successful on name alone.
The same goes for airlines. If you're in the position where you're considering flying, pretty much all of your options suck anyway. By this, I mean that if I didn't fly home (a two hour flight), my next best option is to travel by train, which is comparable in price, takes 10x more of my time, and is (warning: unsourced memory of something I may have misread) actually les safe than flying. Flying is a hassle, but its typically an infrequent one, and it's a lot better than its alternatives.
Phones, however, are pretty much a dime a dozen, and the range of products is immense.
I've had a "dumb phone" for four years, and I don't really have a reason to upgrade. I can call, I can text, and if I really really need to I have web access on a browser that makes Lynx seem state of the art. This is enough for me.
For those who want a "smart phone" there are already great options:
- Blackberry is still a big name, and when I tried out my dads a few months ago, I liked it and considered buying one of my own. - Apple is now the big name and iPhone has huge mind share (I can't speak to its market share off the top of my head) and people who like Apple like it a lot. - Google is a trusted name, and they're marketing the hell out of Android. Their sales are pretty decent IIRC, and they're growing.
My point here is that there are already three large, established names that can compete "on name alone." The Facebook name, in a lot of circles, doesn't have a great reputation, particularly when talking about privacy.
I'm sure there are people out there who would buy a Facebook phone purely based on the name, but there are an awful lot who would do the opposite. Personally, when I saw the title "Facebook is Secretly Building a Phone," my first thought was "...and I would never buy it." That's based entirely on the Facebook name, based on my perception of the company.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2366730,00.asp
...slightly miffed at the traction gotten by "you're a geek so your opinion doesn't reflect the average..."
As a simple example more people are starting to use credit unions: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100...
Change is never instant, it takes time for alternatives to develop and for people to buy in.
Not true at all. The Consumerist has had a category for each of the big banks forever. People hate those overdraft fees.