Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone Blackberry Messenger Equivalent?
- Thread starter masterell
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
thank you for the encouraging words. we might charge for it eventually, but only after we put more features in like group chat, file xfer, etc.
people who download the free version now, will always get free upgrades in the future even if we do start charging for it.
since this is an IM-like app, there is no limit on characters you can send at a time.
awesome!!!
because we only launched chat a few days ago
instead of giving me money just keep on spreading the word to other iPhone users
thanks, will investigate this issue. just to be clear: the app is not running, you start it up and it can't connect because phone switched from 3G to Wi-Fi?
exactly.
i also emailed your support@whatsapp.com as messages i sent earlier today still hadnt been received. I think they got lost along the way. I hope it was just a minor hiccup and doesn't happen again.
I will never understand the fascination with BBM or the desire to have something similar on the iphone. I have a BB and have tried BBM - it works exactly like an IM client except that it severely limits the number of people you can contact. This may have been a cool feature way back when BB was starting out and there weren't other smartphones that had programs like beejive, but at this point it adds nothing to a smartphone that already has SMS, push email, and IM clients. I guess some people feel cool using a program that is limited to a subset of users who have a particular fancy smartphone; I just feel restricted.
messages never got lost. push notifications could get dropped by apple and notify user of an incoming chat, but messages them self don't get dropped and will be saved for offline delivery next time your chat partner opens the app.
you make a valid points. the reason we have internet today was because it was built as an open system on top of open protocols. but there are problems with some of your suggestions. for example:
- SMS - while people can have unlimited domestic SMS plans, international SMS still cost a lot of money. also SMS as a protocol itself has limitations when it comes to features like group chat or telling you that your chat partner is composing a message (which is something that WhatsApp can already do)
- push email - having a real time chat over email is not the same as having a real chat over a messenger system (be it GTalk or WhatsApp). first of all, email by definition is not a real time communication protocol. sure, google and yahoo do email well, but email can get delayed inside of a broken mail queue for hours once you go outside of dealing with top-tier email providers.
- IM clients - IM clients are great. they work on multiple platforms across multiple phones and OSes. the only problem i find with IM is that i always leave myself logged in on my desktop when i go somewhere and when my friends send me IM messages, they don't go to my phone, they go to my desktop. Having to remember to start Yahoo! Messenger on my iPhone ever time i get up from the desk is a pain and there is no way for Yahoo! Messenger to keep you logged in on both desktop and iPhone.
Hey jkb,
I've downloaded your app and it's great. It's exactly what I needed!
One thing that annoyed me, though. I asked my girlfriend to download the app so we can use this instead of sms. In my contacts app, I had her main mobile number named 'iPhone' instead of 'mobile.' Your app did not recognize her phone number as it being her. Instead, it just showed her phone number. Hence, I couldn't add her to my favorites, nor could I check her status.
In the next update, would you be able to fix it and make your app recognize numbers categorized as iPhone?
Love your app!
I've downloaded your app and it's great. It's exactly what I needed!
One thing that annoyed me, though. I asked my girlfriend to download the app so we can use this instead of sms. In my contacts app, I had her main mobile number named 'iPhone' instead of 'mobile.' Your app did not recognize her phone number as it being her. Instead, it just showed her phone number. Hence, I couldn't add her to my favorites, nor could I check her status.
In the next update, would you be able to fix it and make your app recognize numbers categorized as iPhone?
Love your app!
this is a great app..i too have been longing for a BBM type of IM client..however, right now this app pretty much is of no use for me as everyone i know with an iphone has unlimited messaging...HOWEVER, i will definitely get this app once it has group message..because that is a key missing feature
also..i suggest keeping the app free and making it ad based to ensure its success..i really dont think people are going to pay for a strictly iphone-to-iphone messaging app..most people rationalize that they can get AIM or other IM clients free..those who've never had BBM wouldn't spend even .99 on an app they think they can get for free
also..i suggest keeping the app free and making it ad based to ensure its success..i really dont think people are going to pay for a strictly iphone-to-iphone messaging app..most people rationalize that they can get AIM or other IM clients free..those who've never had BBM wouldn't spend even .99 on an app they think they can get for free
but intl sms still cost money
this app is great if you have iPhone friends in other countries even if you still have unlimited domestic messagingwe are already working on group chat. won't be easy, but when it is done, it will be simple awesome.
i am personally not a big fan of ads inside the iphone apps. will see...
awesome app! For some reason though i ahd to disconnect from my wifi connection in order to use it, when i was connected it said that i needed an open internet connection, which i did, but it wouldnt work, so i disconnected from wifi and it worked beautifully. not sure why, but other than that, completely awesome! Does it work between iphone and blackberry users or just iphone to iphone?
right now it is iPhone-2-iPhone, but we are working on adding chat into our BlackBerry product.
as for the Wi-Fi problem, that is strange since i use it on Wi-Fi all the time. could your Wi-Fi connection have been behind some funky corporate firewall or some weird proxy which doesn't allow non-http traffic?
but intl sms still cost money
we are already working on group chat. won't be easy, but when it is done, it will be simple awesome.
i am personally not a big fan of ads inside the iphone apps. will see...
If an app has ads, I won't install it or if I find out after install, it's deleted pronto. I don't do ads. I have to deal with it on tv and the internet. I sure as hell will not deal with it on my phone. I would rather not have the app or pay a small fee to not have ads. .99 cents is fair enough.
DON'T DO ADS!
Seems a lot of people don't care. I have seen it on their desktops with the AIM, YAHOO and MSN messenger apps - ads all over the place. ANNOYING AS HELL!
NO ADS!
I'm done
perhaps, but after i started a chat, i turned my wifi back on and its working now, so its weird.
I really hope this app gets critical mass. I want something like this for my iphone, but of course the main thing I want in any BBM-like app is that I can use it to contact all my friends. Just gotta hope it catches on and they all get it.
well, this is in your hands. invite 10 of your friends with an iPhone and ask them to invite 10 of their friends
I already have, but I have you been getting any press on this? I know it's not as simple as all that, but a couple of well-placed reviews or articles can do real wonders.
sadly i have no PR skills nor do i have any PR contacts
i am an engineer, but sometimes i wonder if i should have majored in marketingI agree with no ads in the app in the future.
Have used this now it it seems to work really well, I am trying to get a few people signed up now. I am from the UK but am on holiday in Florida and it is great to be able to keep in touch like this but without the cost.
Keep up the good work.
MP
Have used this now it it seems to work really well, I am trying to get a few people signed up now. I am from the UK but am on holiday in Florida and it is great to be able to keep in touch like this but without the cost.
Keep up the good work.
MP
Oooh Ooooh!!! PM me next!!!
And now to the App...
It's getting there as a BBM replacement, really really close. Very nice work. Ads I would say are ok as long as you have a premium ad free version. I personally wouldn't want to use a version with ads but then I wouldn't want all my friends to be against buying it if it was .99 because I'd be SOL finding someone to message.
Messi.im
I use the Messi.im app. It WAS free initally, but is now 99 cents I think . Anyway, its great app, a bit better than Whatsup app, since you can send your location and a picture too.
I use the Messi.im app. It WAS free initally, but is now 99 cents I think . Anyway, its great app, a bit better than Whatsup app, since you can send your location and a picture too.