Ok just so were on the same page.
ping! or Whatsapp = Iphone messanger
USMS or textfree = SMS
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- Thread starter jkb
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Ok just so were on the same page.
ping! or Whatsapp = Iphone messanger
USMS or textfree = SMS
Except that when going from iPhone to iPhone with both iPhones using Unlimited SMS, then:
Unlimited SMS = iPhone Messenger
Unlimited SMS does not use SMS if sending to another iPhone running Unlimited SMS.
S-
This may not be of interest to you, but WhatsApp shows you when someone is responding to your message. For me this is one of the main features I need doing tech work in the field. Most people I communicate with have an iphone. If I need to contact them about a problem, I need to know someone is on the other end, got my message and is sending a response in realtime. The other feature I would like coming down the pipe is read receipt, for those instances I don't need instant communication.
These features might not be needed by everyone, but for me its great.
landscape mode, better push notifications, gazillion bug fixes
if only apple would hurry up and push it through the system already.
it is probably an apple bug
sometimes it takes for apple a little while to activate push notifications on a device. we just go by what apple gives us.
you seem to be pushing ulimited sms app awfully hard. in the interest of full disclosure -- you affiliated with a company in any way? just curios..
Not affiliated at all. Look at the features of Unlimited SMS and tell me what I have been saying is not accurate. In the interest of full disclosure, you should respond.
Also, I am not particularly happy with the company that makes Unlimited SMS right now. They have announced an app like yours just for iPhone to iPhone messaging. They are charging nothing for it, ever, which means the folks that paid for Unlimited SMS are paying for the infrastructure used by this new app.
Still, Unlimited SMS is better than these iPhone to iPhone only apps.
S-
Aim, Yahoo, MSN, Google, ICQ and everything else is better than all these other apps. Unlimited SMS is nothing but an app to let people send sms without having to spend money on an SMS package. It's for the cheap asses out there. Nothing wrong with that but the complaining can only go so far.
I am not to keen on all these iphone to iphone apps. What they do is create a proprietary format which is never good. Open formats are the best. Not only do you have to have it, your friends do as well. There are now several other apps that do the same thing. How PING got up there is beyond me since it's a POS from the get go. Then again, there are quite a few kiddies with iphones out there and they don't have lots of money so these crap apps get pushed to the top.
Thankfully it's probably a one time thing and it will die out. I have said it before several times and I say it again, I really don't understand the point of these apps? Are they cool? Yeah, but what's the point?
Hey JKB,
firstly want to say well done for the app, youve done a decent job so far. Just hope your update issues the massive problem of push notifications, which was really holding your app back!
Ok now its time to rant and give you some good solid marketing advice, coz its clear that your a bit weak in that department.
One of your earlier posts on this thread said you were less worried about the money and more worried about developing a solid user base. Now explain to me knowing that this is the way forward you would start charging for your app, a few days after Ping is released for free?!?! I mean seriously, that is just shocking. Fair enough ping has a better push notification service, but other than that there app is a pile of ****! Your app is far more polished, yet they are doing far better than you in the appstore mainly because they held out on charging their app.
Another thing is how on earth could you start charging for your app before the push notifications have been fully sorted?!? I mean that is just ridiculous, push notifications are by far and a way the most important features of this kind of app. There is absolutely no point to them if you dont receive all the notifications. You really should not have started charging before the update was released. Of course you have already done that so next is my advice as to the only way you can gain ground on Ping. Quite simply this update you are releasing needs to be released with a promotion, ie you need to drop the price for free. I understand this may affect cashflow, but if you can hold out for 2-3 weeks, ideally a month or longer, you will really gain ground on Ping! It is a MUST! ignore that advice at your peril!
As you said developing a user base is imperative, charging the app now will only give you short term gains, but if you want to be successful in the long term your going to have to rough it out for a bit and release the update as a free app in order to gain that user base.
If you need any advice regarding the business side of things I am more than willing to help! will be eagerly awaiting your reply to this post, however!
firstly want to say well done for the app, youve done a decent job so far. Just hope your update issues the massive problem of push notifications, which was really holding your app back!
Ok now its time to rant and give you some good solid marketing advice, coz its clear that your a bit weak in that department.
One of your earlier posts on this thread said you were less worried about the money and more worried about developing a solid user base. Now explain to me knowing that this is the way forward you would start charging for your app, a few days after Ping is released for free?!?! I mean seriously, that is just shocking. Fair enough ping has a better push notification service, but other than that there app is a pile of ****! Your app is far more polished, yet they are doing far better than you in the appstore mainly because they held out on charging their app.
Another thing is how on earth could you start charging for your app before the push notifications have been fully sorted?!? I mean that is just ridiculous, push notifications are by far and a way the most important features of this kind of app. There is absolutely no point to them if you dont receive all the notifications. You really should not have started charging before the update was released. Of course you have already done that so next is my advice as to the only way you can gain ground on Ping. Quite simply this update you are releasing needs to be released with a promotion, ie you need to drop the price for free. I understand this may affect cashflow, but if you can hold out for 2-3 weeks, ideally a month or longer, you will really gain ground on Ping! It is a MUST! ignore that advice at your peril!
As you said developing a user base is imperative, charging the app now will only give you short term gains, but if you want to be successful in the long term your going to have to rough it out for a bit and release the update as a free app in order to gain that user base.
If you need any advice regarding the business side of things I am more than willing to help! will be eagerly awaiting your reply to this post, however!
thank you for the kind words about the app.
push notifications are fixed in version 2.1 which we have been waiting for over a week for apple to approve. i wish i could push software directly to my customers without apple in the middle, but that is just the way it is. however, i do encourage you as a consumer of the product to complain to apple about review times: http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html
we also documented the issue and when it occurs: http://www.whatsapp.com/faq/#34
to1986 said:
i agree with everything you said. at this point i am just waiting for apple to approve 2.1 and will see what happens after that
It's all about "iPhone elitism". I know, it sounds rather silly and childish, but that's the whole reason, I guess.
i agree with everything you said. at this point i am just waiting for apple to approve 2.1 and will see what happens after that
Well I very much hope something does happen. You need to act fast because by the looks of it there are a number of other apps doing the same thing that are gong to be released. Have you seen the thread on this forum listing the different iphone messengers? I see this as a problem for this kind of app, because too many of them will mean everyone is on different messengers. If you can act fast you will be able to take most of the customers and drown out the competition. As i said the only way you can do that is by undercutting the competition and releasing the update for free for a small period of time.
Also when you do release the update make sure you setup a FACEBOOK FAN PAGE! Facebook is a wodnerful advertising tool, and best of all it is free! As soon as the update is released you should do this, as it will make plenty of people aware of it!
O and one thing to mention regarding the UI, could you change the positioning of the 'send' button. I dont know how other users feel about it but i find it very irritating. Being next to the space bar i frequently press it by mistake, leading to the message being sent by mistake. Could you position it closer to where the send button is in the actual iphone messaging app?
Finally you need to include compatibility for ipod touch users, i am still having to use Ping! as a number of people have an ipod touch and cannot use whatsapp.
no, where is the thread? would love to check it out. i am not on here often to keep track of all threads
just did: http://www.facebook.com/pages/WhatsApp/148325568343
i had a fan page setup for our FB Connect app, i guess that is different from a fan page.
already on our todo list.
iPod Touch support is already done and coming in version 2.2
you know, i am looking at the both side by side and i can't tell a difference:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/WhatsApp/148325568343
vs
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=84221451049&v=info
can you? is this same thing? one is an app page and another is fan page. as you can tell i am not a big FB user
you know, i am looking at the both side by side and i can't tell a difference:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/WhatsApp/148325568343
vs
http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=84221451049&v=info
can you? is this same thing? one is an app page and another is fan page. as you can tell i am not a big FB user
O right i didnt realise you already had one! ye they both do the same, i think the one you already had (the application page), is more suitable, and youve already got quite a few people subscribed. But ye thats what i was talking about, because when i checked soon after i got your app there wasnt one! Ive joined anyway lol. Any chance you can change the sent button? maybe you can put a poll on your facebook app page and see what other users think? R u planning on including picture messaging support at some point as well?
i deleted the app..has absolutely no use to me..everyone i know has unlimited text..this doesnt add any features to my existing sms, it simply adds another unused icon
the ONLY thing that would bring me back to this app is group messaging, which the developer isnt releasing for a while..so there goes that
the ONLY thing that would bring me back to this app is group messaging, which the developer isnt releasing for a while..so there goes that
i have started to use the FB page today in addition to twitter. didn't realize i could post on it's wall. thanks for the marketing help
both of these items are on the todo list.