WhatsApp for iPhone Moving to Subscription Model Later This Year

[RevTEG]

Viber is free alternative. Also Viber has voice calls.

I totally agree. I stopped using Whatsapp over a year ago. Viber my go to app now when I travel internationally. Pop in a local sim, pay for local data and call and text my family from anywhere in the world. Viber is awesome.

 

[JGRE]

When subscriptions start, I stop.

 

[Vip]

The issue is not $1, but the precedent it sets.

If universally accepted, what next, $1 for maps, $1 for facebook, $1 for twitter

see where we are going...

 

[Markyboy81]

The issue is not $1, but the precedent it sets.

If universally accepted, what next, $1 for maps, $1 for facebook, $1 for twitter

see where we are going...

No, I don't think it'll set any precedent

 

[roadbloc]

Given there are a million free alternatives to this, I'd say they are lucky to be able to sell it for 69p. And in a world where people's contracts come with 5 billion free texts anyway, services like it seem irrelevant unless it is for video chat, someone is out of credit/texts, or for cross-compatibility with PCs.

This can only hurt them.

 

[gto55]

Will you stop using WhatsApp if Google buys it ?

Rumor has Google close to buying WhatsApp for $1B

By AppleInsider Staff
Google is said to be well into negotiations with the team behind WhatsApp, with the search giant reportedly considering a $1 billion price tag for the popular cross-platform messaging app.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/04/07/rumor-has-google-close-to-buying-whatsapp-for-1b

 

[paulcdb]

if they do, it'll be shutdown after a year when they get bored of it

 

[Daniel B]

Invalid subscription model

Hi,

That kind of subscription model is not allowed according to the to the App Store Review Guidelines:

11.9 Apps containing "rental" content or services that expire after a limited time will be rejected​

Daniel

 

[Menel]

Hi,

That kind of subscription model is not allowed according to the to the App Store Review Guidelines:

11.9 Apps containing "rental" content or services that expire after a limited time will be rejected​

Daniel

Talkatone works that way...

 

[hexonxonx]

I don't know anyone who actually uses this. Everyone I know uses their phones stock texting app.

I did download it on my Nexus 4 simply because it's free and free to use for a year though I don't know anyone to use it with.

I would DL it for my iPhones but as I said above, no one to use it with so why spend the $.99?

 

[splinetol]

It doesnt add up

if i have an iphone, i rather just use fb msging to msg now...wat is watsapp thinking????

 

[neil1980]

I can see this becoming a standard business model at some point.


Free app to build up your user base then after a few years charge a dollar per person per year. People will pay it as lets face it a dollar a year is nothing and hey presto you have a multi million dollar business.

Personally I don't use whatsapp a lot (a couple of contacts use it but thats it) and it doesn't save me any money as I have unlimited SMS and send very few MMS... but I think I'd still prefer $1 a year than to have adverts all over the app. That said I'd be happier still if the contacts that did use it just got an iPhone and used iMessage instead.

 

[kolax]

if i have an iphone, i rather just use fb msging to msg now...wat is watsapp thinking????

Costs money to put the application into the App Store, it isn't free. Not to mention on going costs of people's time to maintain and update the app.

One off payments don't really make sense for applications like these anymore.