Fifty per cent of those questioned said they would ‘never’ switch to a Facebook phone.

However, if they had to be persuaded to do so, improved functionality would be the top reason for switching, followed by price and then design.

Five hundred people around the world were questioned in the survey conducted by Greenlight, a UK-based digital marketing agency, in a bid to gauge consumer appetite for a Facebook phone.

Earlier this week several sources claimed the social network is working with manufacturer HTC to produce its own mobile phone.

Facebook, which urgently needs to find a way to make money from its growing number of mobile phone visitors, has already hired former Apple employees who are believed to be working with HTC on the new project.