I’ve been waiting for a competitor to emerge and take on WhatsApp in the multi-channel app that is available in most popular smartphones such as BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, Symbian, and Windows Phone. Now that it’s out to take on Whatsapp or head to head against iMessage on iOS, it’s proven to be a good contender so far. Since ChatOn is available in more platforms, it could take WhatsApp market share.
WhatsApp cost money for iPhone users, $0.99 to be exact. Free for Android and limited to time trial of a year. Some might get lucky and get 10 years on subscription for Android. BlackBerry users get the same one-year subscription included in their free service and $0.99 the year after year.
Samsung ChatOn is free to download across their platform.
You can download the BlackBerry version straight using your BlackBerry Browser by visiting http://www.chaton.com/download.html
Samsung ChatOn is pretty fast connecting to their server. However, time will tell when more users join in on the chat fun. ChatOn functionality is pretty basic, as in what you get in basic IM you get in ChatOn. Emoticons, Send Video and Picture Voice, Contacts, Calendar, and My Location. WhatsApp can’t send Calendar though.
Samsung ChatOn can also be installed on the iPad, not like WhatsApp. I find this useful since when I’m at home, I’m on my iPad and I leave my iPhone and BlackBerry in my bedroom. If people need to call me, call my home. At least I can message people on my iPad without carrying another device. It is tricky to install ChatOn on the iPad as you need either have Google Voice to accept your SMS or have your iPad 3G jailbroken with SwirlySMS or SwirlyMessage to intercept the SMS Code to finish installing ChatOn.
There is no good or bad thing about ChatOn or WhatsApp, they work fine and communicating from iOS to BlackBerry is pretty fast or vice versa.
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1 comment
soso
April 22, 2012 at 1:39 pm (UTC -7) Link to this comment
hi