Mobile Facebook users will soon see the big picture

Facebook's mobile app is getting a minor but noticeable upgrade - images in mobile users' news feeds will appear larger starting this week.

The update will hit the mobile website first and then roll out to the official iOS and Android Facebook apps afterward.

Right now, the upgrade is currently announced for mobile Facebook users only.

However, Facebook releases updates for its site frequently, so it won't be a surprise if larger images show up on the full-sized desktop version soon.

Improvements for an IPO

Facebook goes public today, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg told investors last week in a pre-IPO talk that the mobile world is Facebook's top priority.

Facebook wants to raise about $10.6 billion in its first public push, and to help drum up support Zuckerberg has been making public appearances and speaking with investors.

He said last week that the company is "just getting started" with its mobile business, so it seems that larger images aren't going to be the only update in the coming months.

Mobile apps are getting bigger

The update to the Facebook's mobile app appears to mimic a recent update made to the iOS app for Google's own social network, Google+.

The update was released on May 9, and it brought a number of changes to Google's social app, including larger images as well as a more easy-to-use interface.

A Google spokesperson told TechRadar that the Android version of the update was "just around the corner," saying, "Our overall goal is to create a consistent, beautiful and simple experience for all mobile Google+ users."

Facebook and Google's push for larger images in their mobile apps could be indicative of the direction the social and tech giants feel the mobile industry is headed: toward screens larger than the smartphones that fit in your pocket.

Tablets and hybrid tablet/laptop devices with could indeed be the future, and rumors today even suggest that at least a dozen Windows 8 tablets could hit shelves by November.