Despite rumors that Facebook execs are working with HTC in order to launch a new Facebook smartphone, Mark Zuckerberg denied those rumors this morning. Instead, Zuckerberg told press, Facebook’s future is headed in the mobile direction, but less towards creating a smartphone and more towards enhancing Facebook apps. This news has disparaged rumors of the HTC-Facebook smartphone, and has answered some questions for those who were wondering about a Facebook phone.

Exactly what kinds of enhancements will Facebook make when it comes to the social network’s existing apps? While Zuckerberg didn’t spell out anything specifically, he did tell press that the company had a lot of app expansion room. Moving in a mobile direction is a wise plan for Facebook, especially since the social network recently released diminishing quarter results. Instead of building a smartphone, Facebook has, wisely, decided to use existing platforms to enhance the social network.

Working With Existing Platforms

Zuckerberg made it very clear that Facebook would be working with existing platforms that already encompass the social network. Such platforms as the upcoming iOS6 will really take Facebook integration to a whole new level. As Facebook execs pointed out, it would make very little sense to develop a new device when the network could simply concentrate on enhancing available platform integration.

What this might mean for Android and iPhone users is additional platforms that really put the social network front and center. Recently, both Microsoft and Apple have been divvying up social network integration in the form of various software programs and with mobile platforms and apps. Facebook, it seems, is willing to play ball to appease users and, if for nothing else, to boost quarterly earnings. There’s still a large mobile market left untapped, and plenty of room for Facebook to grow mobile-wise.

Windows Phone Integration

Presently, Windows has already deeply integrated Facebook into its mobile platform. Users who use Facebook to sign in across apps never actually have to use a dedicated Facebook app. The problem here is that Windows phones haven’t gained as much traction as Android or iOS, but that might all change as soon as more people learn what Windows has to offer when it comes to smartphones. It also looks like Facebook will be a lot more present in the future when it comes to various phones, and Facebook users may soon have a chance to pick and choose from a number of smartphones that put Facebook front and center.

For now, though, one thing has been made abundantly clear: no Facebook smartphone will appear over the course of this year. There is an off chance that Facebook might jump into the smartphone market at some future point, but that point seems to be far off. If you are an avid Facebook user, you will find that the new iOS has the social network front and center. If not, you may not be able to avoid a massive amount of Facebook integration no matter what phone you choose, though Twitter and LinkedIn aren’t far behind Facebook when it comes to future phone integration, so stay tuned.