Facebook has finally launched its much-anticipated iPad app.

“Facebook for iPad not only includes popular features from the site like photos and games, but also optimizes them for the unique capabilities of the iPad,” a Facebook representative tells WebProNews.

With the app, users can use their fingertips to scroll through the news feed, swipe to page through albums and pinch pictures to zoom in – pretty much what you’d expect.

Games, apps, groups and lists are in the left-hand menu, and messages and notifications appear at the top of all screens.

You can chat with friends and play games in full-screen mode, watch videos inline, record HD video and stream to Airplay devices.
 
It’s available in the Apple App Store.

In addition to the iPad app itself, Facebook also announced they are extending the Facebook Platform to mobile including the new iPad app, iPhone/iPod app and mobile web site. Support will extend to Android and other platforms in time.

“The Facebook Platform will allow mobile developers to take advantage of social channels for search of discovery of their apps and also the Facebook Credits payment system,” the rep tells us.

Users will get bookmarks to the mobile versions of the apps they use, and will be able to invite friends to the apps from mobile. They will also be able to interact with highlights from apps in the news feed.

The new features, Facebook says, are still under development.