Extremely successful mobile chat application WhatsApp whom Apple listed as the sixth overall most popular paid application, is now offered free. It used to cost 99 cents to download the application, which we can say is really not that much. For some people however, spending on a download just to get a try is a waste. That is why, WhatsApp will now be “free,” the only catch is you will then pay $1 after a year of trying it out.
WhatsApp comes from a new generation of web sensations to post a solution for millions of users whom didn’t seem to exist. Just like Instagram, which was also not the first of its kind to venture in the photo sharing business, but now has a strong 130 million users, WhatsApp is also a newcomer in the IM world. The chat world dates far back when consumers on the internet had AOL’s instant messenger and ICQ. Recently, WhatsApp has more users than Twitter, and just last June has hit the 250 million active user mark.
During a busy day, around 27 billion messages are sent using the application. What makes it so popular is that it works on any device, whether it’s Android or iOS. Another significant difference is the application’s stance against ads.
CEO Jan Koum mentioned in an interview early this year with Forbes that they have a manifesto against ads, and the company is proud of it. Nobody likes advertising, he said. Apparently, although the first year is now free, the company still intends to stick to their manifesto. However, there might be add-ons, just like in other applications, such as stickers.
Mobile applications like WhatsApp is greatly affecting time spent on Facebook, which by the way, also has a built-in chat function. What makes it better is that the chat functionality is works better, especially for younger generation who are now showing several symptoms of getting tired with Facebook.
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