Thats one way to get back all th users that keep bailing. Buy the companies they they are bailing to...
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Facebook Buying Messaging App WhatsApp for $16 Billion
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Do you think android users will pay to use iMessenger? Not so sure especially as they have google hangout. Whatsapp was a neutral company (not owned by either apple or google) and I think this helped it's initial success
As noted by Espen Antonsen on Twitter, this comes out to about $40 per user - the same as when Microsoft bought Hotmail in 1998.
Because it is reliable, works on countless devices, and saves hundreds of dollars in international SMS texts (you know, those of us who know people outside the states)
Serious question: Other than iMessage being iOS only, how are they inferior? I just looked over WhatsApp and thought, yep, everything in there is covered by iMessage...
There is no way of setting iMessage to only use data for sending photos. You can turn off using data bit that disabled the text feature too
And the obvious multi platform support are the main reason we use it over iMessage
Functionally, all the messenging apps are pretty much equal. The only real factor is how many of your friends or people you need to contact are on them. I'd say FB Messenger already had a lead on this so I don't really understand why they felt the need for this purchase.
I love WhatsApp
Like several people have mentioned previously, not everyone has an iOS device. Whilst iMessage is great WhatsApp does have more functionality.
I like the integration with your phone's contacts list.
Another advantage is that it works over WiFi so I can use it when mobile reception is bad.
And for those who don't want to support a product because Facebook own it, or Google own it.... why don't you do something useful and stop supporting Murdoch's empire?
Buyouts like this keep smaller devs in business and that's always good! It also allows for evolution aka someone else to come along and say "you know what, I want a crack at a messaging app" ....
Just a thought.
Like several people have mentioned previously, not everyone has an iOS device. Whilst iMessage is great WhatsApp does have more functionality.
I like the integration with your phone's contacts list.
Another advantage is that it works over WiFi so I can use it when mobile reception is bad.
And for those who don't want to support a product because Facebook own it, or Google own it.... why don't you do something useful and stop supporting Murdoch's empire?
Buyouts like this keep smaller devs in business and that's always good! It also allows for evolution aka someone else to come along and say "you know what, I want a crack at a messaging app" ....
Just a thought.
If you're worrying about your privacy, Hemlis Messenger for iOS7 and android maybe the answer https://heml.is/
It depends if it gets it's service right and the pricing. Arn't Whatsapp planning on making it a subscription service in anyway?
I believe it will get to the point of FB credits to pay for things thats a place i don't want to live in.
We are Mac Rumor site, of course everyone uses iPhones, don't be silly
In my life it is actually true that all the friends and family that I chat with are on the iPhone -- even co-workers. Those that are not on the iPhone i chat with very little and then use the standard sms that iMessage still delivers. I know I live in a bubble
I use iMessage too. Which is perfectly fine. Some people have iPhones, very few in my circle don't, and that's just life. We've been trying to standardize web based instant communication for decades and it's just never going to work when everyone has different opinions on what that should be.
Please explain why iMassage is inferior to WhatsApp?
iMessage only works on iOS. Why couldn't you think of that on your own?
I'm surprised that so many people do not understand that messaging apps are a two-way service.
I believe whatsapp is already a subscription service. I got it prior to the introduction of a yearly charge so I've got some weird lifetime membership
Ps: the yearly 69p isn't really a deal breaker anyway
You can have read notifications with iMessage too. I think it's disabled by default that's why most people don't have it turned on.
I don't share your observation about sending pictures being generelly slow, they are sent just fine here in most cases.
However, my main gripe with iMessage is that even simple text messages can sometimes take forever to send if you have mediocre / bad reception. It's only text, it shouldn't take longer than a simple SMS text, which is always being sent quickly and reliably.
Wow! I'm not sure how I would feel about this if I were a Facebook shareholder. Value for money?
No doubt Facebook will find a clever way to integrate it into the site - they've effectively purchased mobile users rather than any discernible tech.
No doubt Facebook will find a clever way to integrate it into the site - they've effectively purchased mobile users rather than any discernible tech.