Social network hi5 has gone mobile in a big way. The San Francisco-start up launched hi5 Mobile in 26 languages, claiming to have set a precedent for the globalization of the mobile Web while at the same time meeting the needs of its international online audience. The online version is offered in the same 26 languages, by the way.

Hi5 Mobile users can send and receive messages, update their status, view their friends’ profiles, share photos, see who’s online and add new friends. The ad-supported service has been optimized to deliver the best performance and display for a slew of top phones including the iPhone and handsets from Nokia, Motorola, RIM, LG, Samsung and Sony Ericsson.

“Mobile use represents a huge opportunity for social networking and this functionality is particularly relevant to hi5′s international user base who are more advanced than their U.S. counterparts in terms of mobile device usage,” hi5 CEO Ramu Yalamanchi said of the mobile launch.