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First Look: WhatsApp

by John Burke Nov 16th 2009 at 1:00PM

There's a lot of buzz about iPhone IM clients.Other applications have gotten a lot of coverage for allowing iPhones to chat from their AOL, Google, ICQ, Jabber or a host of other screen names.

WhatsApp [iTunes Link] is different, calling itself an "iPhone-to-iPhone chat application" that provides direct messaging between iPhones. The application features push notifications and provides functionality similar to SMS.

So why bother trying it? The app makes it easy to chat with other iPhones with no need for screen names, logging in and out or the added cost of text messaging and cellular charges. It's a lot like an iPhone version of Blackberry's popular messaging service. You'll also quickly and easily be able to point out which of your contacts have WhatsApp installed. Even if you're offline, your messages will be saved until you're back online.

Other cool features include the ability to "Broadcast" or send a message to multiple users, emailing of your chat history and sound and visual badges to show your unread message count. Users can also see when their friends are typing as well as the last time they checked their messages.

WhatsApp is free "for a limited time" so head on over to the App Store and grab it.

Here's a few shots of the app in action:

WhatsApp

  • Push notifications make it easy to keep in touch.
  • View your recent chat history.
  • Language support, and familiar chat interface.
  • Update your status for all to see.
  • View your contacts and quickly see who has WhatsApp.





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There's a lot of buzz about iPhone IM clients.Other applications have gotten a lot of coverage for allowing iPhones to chat from their AOL,...
 

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19 Comments

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Steve

I installed this today and my battery died before 24 hours was up for the first time ever. Is this thing sucking battery juice or is this just a coincidence??

November 17 2009 at 2:51 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Steve's comment
Ves

The Push function is really sucking the battery. But I encountered that with all apps including Push.

November 17 2009 at 6:15 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
nard

You guys should check out Flow Messenger as well. It has great features like Group conversations, contact list management, custom usernames/statuses and read message receipts. It has all the features I need that I couldnt find in Ping or WhatsApp. http://www.flowmessenger.com

November 16 2009 at 5:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to nard's comment
Thomas Baltruschat

There is also Messi.im, send pictures, locations and soon videos. Doesn't use either phone numbers or email addresses. You can use any username.
http://messi.im

November 16 2009 at 8:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
philasan

I'm really really surprised this app made it through the approval process! Just look at the icon, not to mention all the cool features! Definitely good news, and a good sign.

btw, i'm loving the app, just wish there was a feature to send SMS to non-iphone users without any workarounds

November 16 2009 at 4:46 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
camkevbell

Works good for me. My wife and I text a lot and this will keep us from going over our 200 text limit again. I'll update if there's any noticeable downsides.

November 16 2009 at 3:43 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Vaughn Simon

You should check out the one that is soon coming out called iMessenger at http://imessengerapp.com. Seems like it does everything!

November 16 2009 at 2:59 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
PJ

Harvesting issues and vulnerabilities? Please post a reputable link to corroborate. Sorry, your word alone won't convince anyone.

November 16 2009 at 2:45 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Eric

Agreed. This app appears to have serious contact harvesting issues. I just hope that no one that has me in their address book uses this app. I certainly won't be using it.

November 16 2009 at 1:47 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Nazim Jamil

Hold on, why don't you just use email...or direct message via Twitter?

November 16 2009 at 1:33 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Gary Fung

@Author John Burke and above posters: Did everyone missed the recent news where phone numbers can potentially be misused? Might want to warn users that this app retrieves your phone number...

http://gizmodo.com/5370323/iphone-app-developer-jacks-your-phone-number-to-pitch-you-more-apps

http://boingboing.net/2009/11/05/iphone-game-dev-accu.html

November 16 2009 at 1:28 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Gary Fung's comment
timbo

Might want to warn users that this is a Dev from a competing app (Ping!).

They only appear to use your email address (if ever): http://beta.whatsapp.com/client_legal/index.php

p.s. I don't use either app. I think they are pointless and just bloatware for the phone. SMS, MMS or Email. Done.

p.p.s. This article is late.

November 16 2009 at 1:48 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Paul

The difference between this and Ping is that there is no separate ID. It just uses your phone number. You launch the app and it already shows you all the people in your contact list that have WhatsApp installed. No need to know their ID. It's a no-brainer.

November 16 2009 at 1:20 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
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