WhatsApp

WhatsApp Review

by on August 28, 2010

Messaging on mobile phones has always been a massive part of the BlackBerry lifestyle – from texting to emails to calling to BBM-ing, the world has had ways to communicate for years.

So how can another IM application hope to compete? Well, WhatsApp has a couple of neat tricks, with the best being you can communicate across platforms as the iPhone is supported too.

Also, you don’t need to add people – if your friends have signed up then the app will scan your contacts book and find them using their phone numbers, providing you with a ready made list of who is available to chat to.

You can also send voice, video and photos through the application, making it easy to get media from one phone to another.

However, WhatsApp just doesn’t quite cut the mustard in a number of areas. Although your friends can change their statuses to let you know if you’re available/on a call etc, there’s no auto shut off, so someone can be ‘available’ but have last used the app in March, so most messages go unanswered.

It’s also a very basic interface, and can take a little while to set up with an SMS needing to be sent to verify your number.

The sting comes in the price – with the iPhone it’s upfront, but with the BB version you get a free three month trial, but after that it’s £1.39 per year, which some people might see as a little sneaky.

If you want to send messages between BlackBerrys, use BBM. If you want to work cross platform, use Windows Live Messenger, because we don’t really see a problem adding in friends you actually want to talk to.

Buy this app: Download the WhatsApp app now