During his interview at the kickoff of this years’ D10, Tim Cook hinted that Apple and Facebook were in talks to integrate aspects of the social network into iOS in much the same way that Twitter was integrated into iOS 5. Many people were surprised when Apple announced Twitter integration last year instead of Facebook, but it soon came to light that the two companies simply couldn’t agree upon terms that would allow the social networking giant to be integrated into iOS.

Judging by Cook’s recent comments, however, the two tech giants have gotten past their differences and are again in search of a way to work together. As both an iOS and Facebook user, I was surprised when this news didn’t really mean much to me. Facebook integration sounds great on paper, but even as an avid Facebook user, I can’t seem to get very excited about the prospect of a little “Post to Facebook” button in my iPhone’s camera app. This has led me to wonder whether Facebook integration – or any social network, really – is even necessary.

There have been a few attempts at a Facebook smartphone over the years, and rumors suggest another one is in the works, but Facebook can’t seem to find a mutually beneficial way to join with a smartphone. And, honestly, it doesn’t have to. It takes just about the same amount of time to tap on the Facebook application as it would to tap on the Facebook button in a given iOS application.

A Facebook app exists. It’s here, available now. I don’t quite understand the need for a watered-down selection of the app’s features to be built into iOS. Twitter integration is fine I suppose, but it’s certainly limited. I can tweet a picture without leaving the Photos app, but it doesn’t really save any time. And if I want to browse my timeline as well as tweet, I have to go into the Twitter application anyway. In my opinion, it would be in the user’s best interest if Facebook put its time into improving its mobile application as opposed to negotiating with Apple about iOS.

What do you guys think? Are you eager to have Facebook and Apple team up, or do you agree that the need for Facebook integration really isn’t there? Let me know in the comments section below or on twitter.