Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg earlier this month announced the release of new chat features, including Skype video calling, and mentioned that many more launches would appear in the coming weeks. Now, a Canadian engineering student has found one of the most anticipated launches ahead of its actual release -- the Facebook iPad app. 

Marvin Bernal, a Canadian engineering student and iOS enthusiast, discovered the iPad app hidden within the code of Facebook's iPhone app after Facebook released an update to its iPhone app. Version 3.4.4 had some fixes, but Bernal noticed the iPad app code almost immediately and tweeted it for everyone to see.

The Facebook iPad app has been a long-awaited feature, since many mobile Apple users have complained about the look and functionality of the iPhone version of the app. Many users have said that the layout in general causes difficulty in app navigation. 

But now, the iPad app has been found ahead of its time, and according to Tech Crunch, it was well worth the wait. 

The Facebook iPad app, which was written with HTML5, has an excellent navigation system. It uses a left-side menu that can be accessed by simply touching a button on the screen, displaying most Facebook options in one instance. It also has a great-looking photo-viewer, and makes better use of overlay menus than the iPhone version. When the iPad is turned horizontally, the user's list of online friends appears, allowing them to chat while navigating other parts of Facebook. In addition, Facebook Places allows the user to view a larger map that shows all friends situated around you. In other words, the iPad version looks and navigates much better than the iPhone version.

It has been confirmed that this is the version that will be released to the masses, and Facebook must be close to launching it if its code attached to the iPhone app. Many suspect this version will be Universal Binary, which means it will encompass the iPhone and iPad versions of the app. 

It is possible to see and use the Facebook iPad app now, but you have to be willing to do things you're "not technically supposed to do to your iPad." 

Facebook has not announced an exact date for the Facebook iPad app's release, but it's safe to assume that it will come sooner than later -- especially with this leak.