Facebook is about to release an official iPad app, according to the New York Times. The app is said to be freely available “in the coming weeks” and not just a rescaled iPhone app version, instead it is optimized specifically for the iPad’s larger touch display. From the NYT:

People who have seen the application said it has a slick design that has been tailored for the iPad and its touchscreen interface. Facebook developers and designers have also overhauled the Facebook Chat and Facebook Groups features for the application. And the app will go beyond the features available on the Facebook Web site by allowing users to shoot and upload photos and videos directly from the iPad’s built-in cameras. “The photo and video experience is amazing, offering full resolution and full-screen images,” said a person who has seen the app.

Currently, iPad users are forced to either run the iPhone and iPod touch version scaled up 2x which provides a rather unattractive user experience, or just load the Facebook website directly in mobile Safari. Neither of these are ideal solutions, and a native app has been highly anticipated by Facebook users, although there are also several interesting alternatives like the Facebook photo frame & news feed web app that was designed for the iPad in mind.