WeChat 6.1.1
Pop and glitter
WeChat may not be a dedicated rival to WhatsApp, but it sure looks like one. You’re greeted by the same give-us-your-number scenario, after which you delve into creating your account and start finding friends.
It’s a little cluttered, but it’s also designed to provide an easy learning curve to get right into posting and chatting. WeChat is very colorful and glittery, so it’s mainly geared towards youngsters.
The chatting window uses bubbles like most messengers, and the convo is well spaced out.
Searching for messages is easier than ever, thanks to some recent updates, and so is looking through your contacts. This is particularly useful for everyone who has a long list of contact entries to whom they often text with.
Sight, a new short video capture feature allows users do to just that and then to share them with friends on chats or Moments.The app also sports a Light Boost feature that enables users to shoot Sight videos at night. This is particularly useful for all those late night calls with wonky background lights.
More than just an IMclient
A social network + instant messenger, WeChat lets you have your own profile within the network, plus chat with friends via text, voice and video calls. You can like stuff, post moments, share things with others, and go crazy with a ton of stickers. Many are free, some are paid. For the complete experience, you really don’t need to spend a dime.
It lets you link your QQ ID (if you’re from China) to find more contacts, and you need to have friends already on WeChat to start using the thing.
Voice calls work well, but video calling is choppy and of poor quality. Nonetheless, it serves its purpose. You can tweak different settings, such as block others or specify how people can find you.
iOS 8 users will also be able to share content to WeChat from the Camera Roll or Safari, making for a streamlined experience.
Add to watchlist:
VoIPVideo chatInstant messengerChatHits & Misses
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Bottom Line
Design / UI7
WeChat deserves a much cleaner interface for such a joyful service. But its designed well enough to serve its purpose. |
Function8
It’s got it all and everything works as expected: texts, voice and video calls, public sharing, etc. Some things could work better, but the overall experience is nice and well worth a try. The level of interaction is much greater compared to that offered by simple IMs, like WhatsApp. |
Security8
WeChat goes deep into your personal life to get you up and running, but it promises to encrypt everything. It carefully tells you what you’re missing out on if you deny a service. |
Battery7
Not a major power hog, but not a mild one either. It needs a lot of juice to display all those animations and fetch your messages. During video calls, the drainage is most visible, but this is normal. |
Price9
Free with some in-app purchases. The experience feels complete without spending a dime. |
Compatibility9
Allows everyone to join in on the fun, and it’s well optimized for all firmware versions starting with iOS 6. |
A powerful communications tool that eliminates the need to tax your cellular plan
Specifications
- price:
- Free with IAP
- current version:
- 6.1.1
- reviewed version:
- 6.0.2
- developer:
- category:
- VOICE & MESSAGING
- os version req.:
- 6.0
- age rating:
- 12+
- in-app purchases:
- Yes. Multiple $0.99 IAPs for various addons
- hits:
- 1898