Mobile messaging app WhatsApp now has 70 million active users alone in India. It is used by 600 million people globally out of which more than one-tenth users are now Indians. WhatsApp is the most simple messenger with an easy-to-use interface among its competitors like Hike, Line and WeChat. Apart from using it as a traditional messenger, WhatsApp has definitely made our lives easier by giving us options to transfer photos, songs, links, location, etc. everything in a few clicks. As a next move, WhatsApp is all set to add free voice calling service as a new feature into their existing features. WhatsApp will add a 4 button series. It will consist of options like muting the call, switching to text message, directing the call through device speaker and ending the call. The free calling feature would be offered on WhatsApp’s new 4.5.5 version. A coloured ‘Call in progress’ bar will appear on WhatsApp while dialing the number from your WhatsApp Contact list. Engineers of WhatsApp are improvising this feature so it also can be accessible in areas with low network or EDGE coverage.
WhatsApp had planned to introduce free voice calling this year but, unfortunately, it couldn’t. It now intends to provide free voice calling next year i.e in 2015. It would be an interesting sight as Google also plans to launch its mobile messaging app next year. Could whatsApp’s free voice calling feature beat Google’s messaging app in the ongoing Google Vs. Facebook war?
Unlike other Google products, the messaging service will not need integration with a Google account. To beat WhatsApp and other messaging applications, Google will also consider localising the messenger by adding Indian Language support and Voice to Text messaging.
WhatsApp is based on a freemium model and requires users to pay after one year of use whereas Google’s messaging app would be freely available for everyone. Google would agree that it has missed its presence in social sector. Similarly Facebook too, which it rectified by acquiring WhatsApp and Instagram.
India is considered one of the fastest growing markets for instant messaging applications. Google’s messaging app not only has WhatsApp as a competition but also has to compete with Line, Viber and Hike. Line has 18 million registered users, Viber is targeting 30 million users by the end of this year and homegrown Hike messenger has 35 million registered users.
All we have to say is best of luck, Google!
Image Source: www.ttmcommunicatie.nl
