Is WhatsApp the SMS-killer?

I definately think the days of SMS are being numbered...For all non BBM smartphone users, Whatsapp is a a perfect application to communicate quickly. I have been using WhatsApp since November last year and I must say, it's been a very convenient way to communicate.
 
rbarryza said:
Why is WhatsApp getting so much coverage? It's no different from any other IM app on your phone, including Mixit, Fring, Google Talk, etc. It's not new, what's the big deal? Or am I missing something?
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It hooks directly into your phone book, so there's no need to add people manually.

Bummer about having to have a permanent data connection while its running.
 
Problem is my parents are only starting to get used to using SMS now!

I think it only supports Nokia, BB & iPhone though???
 
Why the focus on whatsapp? Why does it get a mention relative to any other app. Mxit has been around for ever, bbm is really pumping and even MTN and Vodacom launched their own im platforms.

None of these will really take off until 1) the apps can talk to each other and you can send messages across platforms and 2) you can know with reaonable certain that the person receiving the message will get it and almost immediately and 3) uses phone numbers and not handles (as this one does, adimittedly).

Any 'community' group that uses a current solution will save a lot of money because it is a couple of people who know each other, are on the same platform and send each other a lot of messages. However these communities will come and go and won't be either sustainable in the long term or grow to nearly the extent SMS has
 
Hi Guys so im a real estate agent but nerd junkie on the sideline. Recently added whatsapp to my phone and without me telling them my tenants now all prefer to contact me via whatsapp. I Personally dont mind but Thought it was quite funny.
 
Vegeta said:
Does whatsapp use less battery than the others? if it does then i'll sign up
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On my n97 I normally get around 3.5 days of general usage on a charge. With WhatsApp installed, that went down to 1 day, and I didn't even really use it that much (just had it running in the background). Never bothered trying to turn off 3G or anything, so can't comment on if that helps. Uninstalled it after a couple days because of poor battery life and no need for it.
 
For the benefit of those asking why it is different to other IM clients:

It uses your cell number as a "username reference" even though you set your username, allowing you to contact people in your phone's contact list without needing to find out their contact info as you already have their cell number.

It even works on non cell enabled platforms eg iPod touch, all you need to do is give you cell number so you can get a sms verification code to enter on the iPod to activate.
 
This a very interesting app & topic.

Ultimatley it won't entirely remove the use of sms's :-
Not everyone you need to contact has a compatible phone.
Your phone, at some point, will not be able to go online.

But for the most part it saves you on unnecesary spending which is a big plus.
And even if it is like mxit, it's still a new fad to get into, which is the crux of social networking.

Peace "B"
 
Personally love BBM more than Whatsapp, but Whatsapp is useful for all ye who don't own a BB.
 
SilverCode said:
On my n97 I normally get around 3.5 days of general usage on a charge. With WhatsApp installed, that went down to 1 day, and I didn't even really use it that much (just had it running in the background). Never bothered trying to turn off 3G or anything, so can't comment on if that helps. Uninstalled it after a couple days because of poor battery life and no need for it.
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Basically all people complaining about poor battery life with WhatsApp use Nokia. I think it has something to do with how the Nokia's keeps their data connection to the network active to keep WhatsApp running. The other OS's handles this much better and elequintly I think and therefore it does not really bring down the battery life on other platforms such as BB and Android.
 
ocleroux said:
Basically all people complaining about poor battery life with WhatsApp use Nokia. I think it has something to do with how the Nokia's keeps their data connection to the network active to keep WhatsApp running. The other OS's handles this much better and elequintly I think and therefore it does not really bring down the battery life on other platforms such as BB and Android.
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I've never had a problem with battery life on my Nokia. It lasts quite long and the data amount it uses is minuscule.
 
On my BB I exit and close the application.
I still get the message when someone messages me.
 
Whatsapp is a great app, but me thinks it will die later this year when Blackberry releases iOS and Android versions of BBM...
 
The focus is on WhatsApp because it seems to be the first application to combine multi-platform, SP-independent messaging with a simple and straightforward interface with high useability.

The issue of delivery speed/status is not a major problem, to my view - SMSs can be slow too, and WhatsApp already shows delivery status for messages in the app. It is quick, too. Interoperability between all the IM clients is extremely unlikely because of their design, and I would prefer one app which works well to a bunch of apps struggling to maintain different APIs and services.

SMS grew significantly because it was the only option - I reckon WhatsApp will grow hugely in the smart phone market, but obviously SMSing will maintain the huge usage among the regular phone market. Nevertheless, the presence of a cheaper alternative to SMSs may have some effect on the pricing, in the long run, which is entirely a good thing.
 
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