Where there’s a will, there’s a way. A way to use an alternative if or when you are tired of your BlackBerry. One of the reason I use my BlackBerry is because of it’s messenger built-in. Aside from the push email, though I can get my email push as well via GMail Exchange setup on the iPhone, I find my iPhone just as good as my BlackBerry for business.
So how do I simulate BlackBerry Messenger type on the iPhone? Simple, there’s an app for that and it’s called WhatsApp. It’s a $.99 App. WhatsApp also works on the BlackBerry and Android. For the many friends you have who isn’t on the BlackBerry can still keep in touch with WhatsApp. More information about WhatsApp on their website. So you can download it for your BlackBerry if your wife or son got no love for the BlackBerry to keep in touch.
What makes WhatsApp to be considered to be as good as “BlackBerry Messenger” on the iPhone? The messages are threaded, just like BlackBerry Messenger, you can send pictures, or send a video, send audio note, share contact, and share a location. Pretty much a total mirror of what BlackBerry Messenger can do.
WhatsApp is not another TextNow app, or Viber (VOIP) app, it’s actually is just a messenger software. Although it will ask you what is your cellphone number, it’s actually is made for international. I live in Indonesia, and I put in my cellphone number and I got an sms to verify the app.
So once your friend downloaded WhatsApp for their iPhone or Android, you are set to message away for free. Heck, even installous has WhatsApp if your iPhone is jailbroken. Most of my friends and family knows my Google Voice number, so I used that to register WhatsApp. Though it’s not compatible with the iPad, at least not the latest version of WhatsApp, there are reports that iPad users need to download older version.
But that’s beside the point of making it work for the iPad.
Enjoy!