Review: WhatsApp Messenger for iPhone

I don't send enough text messages to justify the cost of having an unlimited text plan with my cell phone provider.  I mostly send quick messages to the same people who are in my "Fab 5".  However, every now and then, especially when my friends and I are trying to organize a get-together, I text a bunch of people a bunch of times.  And it's times like these that make the $0.15 per message fee add up really quickly.

Enter an iPhone app called WhatsApp Messenger.  At present this app is #4 on the iTunes app store charts.  This app is available for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Nokia phones.  My review focuses on the iPhone version as that's the phone I use it on.  WhatsApp Messenger can be used to send free normal text messages to any other user that has the app, but also has some terrific other features such as:

• send Photo/Video - choose from an existing photo/video from your camera album, or use your phone's camera to take a new photo.  Perfect for your husband to use in the grocery store when he needs a little help figuring out exactly which granola bars you wanted him to buy...he can instantly send you a picture and you can reply and set him straight.  You can even respond with a photo of the empty box you have at home, to make things really simple.
• send Audio Note - I love this feature to use when I've got a longer message to transmit, I can just record what I want to say instead of having to type it all out.  This is really handy when I'm in a hurry and just can't type fast enough.
• Group Chat - you can set up quick chats with up to 5 participants, really handy when you need to get several friends on the same page about what's going on when the plan changes.

The biggest downside to WhatsApp Messenger is that not everyone has it.  In order to send a WhatsApp message, both the sender and the recipient need to have WhatsApp Messenger on their device.  However, at a cost of $0.99, it's cheaper for you to buy the app for a friend than it is to keep paying $0.15 per message sent and received!  (Yes, I've done this.)

The good thing is that when your friends eventually buy it (because you will tell them how great it is...) they will automatically show up in your contacts list on WhatsApp Messenger - no complicated adding process needed, as long as they are in your iPhone contact list.

Read more about WhatsApp Messenger on their website (http://www.whatsapp.com/), which also has links to purchase the application for supported devices here http://www.whatsapp.com/download/.