Facebook has launched a standalone mobile Messenger application for iPhone and Android devices.

It's based on the Facebook Messages service that was launched late last year.

The 2011 Mobile Internet Usage Report from CCS Insight has revealed that Facebook Messages, Chat and Photos are some of the most popular mobile services across Europe.

CCS Insight says Facebook is now one of the top three providers for messaging and could soon become a major destination for watching video clips.

73% of mobile phone users in the USA use their mobile phones to visit social networking sites at least once a day, according to a new survey from ABI Research.

Social networking was the second most-popular mobile activity after checking email, which was carried out by 80% of smartphone, feature phone or tablet users.

Mobile operators must make the most of mobile social networking by offering innovative devices, tariffs and services. That's the message from Pyramid Research, which has just published a report called The Peril and Promise of Mobile Social Networks for Operators.

It says communications patterns and mobile devices are both being influenced by social networking.

Mark Bridge writes:

With all the excitement about the partnership between Nokia and Microsoft, it's easy to forget another partnership between a major online brand and the Finnish mobile giant.

Exactly a year ago, Yahoo! and Nokia announced a worldwide strategic alliance that would see Nokia providing Yahoo!'s maps and navigation services under the Ovi brand, while Yahoo! would power Nokia's Ovi Mail and Ovi Chat services. The two companies would also work on sharing log-in details across Yahoo! and Ovi services.