Votes Up: WhatsApp Routs Every Other Mode Of Communication | TechTree.com

Votes Up: WhatsApp Routs Every Other Mode Of Communication

While SMS is no longer an able foe, surprisingly not many takers for Skype or BBM either!

 

That WhatsApp has blown text messaging out of the water is a known and well-proven fact. However that in no way means that SMS is done and dusted. And our readers need it just as much, it's not complete forgotten as our poll suggests. After all, if SMSes were dead, how can you vote for your favourite dancing stars, or become a Crorepati overnight? However, when pit against contemporaries such as Skype, BBM, and Viber, there is no competition by a long shot: All of the rest put together are in the same league as the SMS. So what is it that makes the WhatsApp such a thundering success?  Let's try to figure it out.

Ease Of Usage
Unlike the rest (save for BBM), you don’t need to keep track of user ids and passwords with WhatsApp. All you need is phone numbers and for your friend to have the app too. So even if you change/lose handsets, till the time you retain the number, you can still pick up where you left off. And when your 2G/3G/Wi-Fi connection falls apart, there's SMSes to turn to, so there is no real communication break.

Cheaper
Considering how cost-effective data plans have become these days, many consider WhatsApp to be a cheaper alterative to texting, especially if you connect to friends and relatives all over the world. However, unlike Viber and Skype it doesn’t make way for face-to-face conversations, or VoIP calls yet. But you can still send voice clips to your friends. And those who love sharing pictures, the service downsizes images so the data consumption is that much lower, which is a boon for those on slow network connections.

Downside
That said, the app does have a few quirks. Firstly it neither supports VoIP or video calls. You can make calls from within the app but you are charged local carrier charges. So effectively it’s the same as making calls from your mobile phone. Secondly, the concept of muting groups is a serious issue. If you mute a group, you should technically neither receive notifications, nor be able to post messages. But you can do both, which can be daunting if you are looking for some peace and quiet.

Do you have any interesting WhatsApp stories/quirks to share? Sound off in the comments below.


TAGS: Apps, Internet, WhatsApp

 
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