WapReview

The full web version of Bebo offers a lot of functionality in an attractive format.  All the usual social networking features are there: friends list; public, private and semi-private profiles which are customizable with skins, music and videos; status messages; blogs; comments and groups.  There's messaging within Bebo as well as integration with AIM, WIM and Skype.

The mobile site has a clean, simple design that is easy and fairly intuitive to navigate.  Unfortunately, like the mobile versions of most social networks that started out on the non-mobile web, it's a rather limited subset of the features available in the full version.

The mobile site lets you the following:

• Change your status.
• View your friends list and visits friends' profiles to view their blogs, photos and their YouTube hosted videos.  Videos hosted on Bebo itself are not viewable from the mobile site.
• View, but not compose or reply to, your Bebo Mail (messages from Bebo users).
• Partially edit your profile.  The only fields that can be changed from the mobile site are your Name (handle), tag line and sex!
• Visit your groups.
• Search public profiles, bands and groups.

What you can't do on Bebo Mobile:

• Submit friend requests, join new groups or become a band fan.
• Message with AIM, WIM or Skype.
• Use Bebo or OpenSocial Apps.
• Listen to any of the music on band sites or user's profiles.
• Upload images or videos unless you are an Orange UK or O2 Ireland subscriber.

I hope Bebo Mobile will be updated to add some of the missing features.  All of them except the apps seem doable for mobile. I do have some doubts that struggling AOL will commit the resources to really make Bebo Mobile what it could be. Fortunately, Bebo allows mobile users access to the full version of the site.  When you first connect to Bebo.com with a mobile device (including iPhones!) you land on the mobile site. But right at the top of the page there's a link to that "desktop version". Of course, you do need a capable full web browser like S60WebKit, Opera, Netfront or Safari to even load the full version of the site, but I applaud Bebo for at least giving users this choice.

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