WhatsApp Messenger 2.11.14
A free texting application that uses only your Internet connection, WhatsApp allows you to chat with anyone, anywhere in the world, and even send and receive files, completely free of charge (for the first year of use).
Well designed UI, nice backgrounds
WhatsApp has remained largely unchanged since its inception many years ago. The UI underwent its biggest overhaul when Apple launched iOS 7 forcing everyone in the business to adopt a new, flat design.
You’ll be spending most of the time in the messaging view, which displays messages as a scrollable convo with chat bubbles, smileys, photos, and everything that went back and forth in that convo. The interface is well crafted, and the backgrounds are particularly appealing. However, itwouldn’t hurt to let people customize their chats with more visual pleasantries.
You can also archive chats and groups, insert captions to photos and videos and it’s become much easier to access the camera button for capturing and sending photos. iPhone 5s users can even share slow-motion videos and trim them up before sending them off to friends.
Chat search has also been recently improved and works a lot better, which is quite useful when you can’t really scroll through your entire log to see when you mentioned a certain meeting, for instance.
An IMclient that has nothing to prove
WhatsApp is mostly used for texting, so people obvious employ it for that quite a lot. But it’s also very good for sending and receiving photos and videos. You can also use it to share contacts and even your current location complete with a map.
It much better than many other IM clients because it’s reliable. Despite what you may have heard, WhatsApp doesn’t incur outages more often than other services, and the more people are using it, the more maintenance goes into it. It’s a pleasure to use, and we recommend it with warmth.
A word about security
WhatsApp is unfortunately quite intrusive and it can give away details without you knowing. For instance, someone who has just learned your phone number from a common friend can instantly access your profile picture and even harass you. If you fail to tweak the necessary settings, WhatsApp instantly lets everyone in your Address Book know that your online and using the service. You can access someone profile photo at full resolution and save it to your camera roll, and it can give away your location.
Not exactly 100% free
On iOS, WhatsApp is free to download and use for one full year. According to the current description on the App Store, the developers will start charging after one year of usage starting from the moment you activated your account. It isn’t clear if this is still the case following the Facebook acquisition.
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0/5
Hits & Misses
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misses
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Bottom Line
Design / UI8
WhatsApp looks good overall, but some areas could receive more attention. |
Function9
One of the most beloved texting clients in the world, WhatsApp serves everyone’s needs without asking for much in return. The feature set doesn’t lack anything vital, and it will be interesting how the service evolves under Facebook’s wing. |
Security6
WhatsApp is unfortunately quite intrusive and it can give away details without you knowing |
Battery5
WhatsApp has always been high on the list of apps that drain the most juice from an iDevice, and version 2.11.8 is no exception. |
Price9
WhatsApp is free to download and use for one full year (though it isn't clear if the pricing scheme has been left in place following the Facebook acquisition). |
Compatibility7
WhatsApp is compatible with all iPhones that can handle iOS 4.3. That’s all models except the first one and the iPhone 3G (which hardly anyone uses anymore). It’s not compatible with iPod touches and iPads because it requires a phone number to work. |
The handiest texting tool you'll find in the entire App Store
Specifications
- price:
- 100% Free
- current version:
- 2.11.14
- reviewed version:
- 2.11.14
- developer:
- WhatsApp Inc.
- category:
- VOICE & MESSAGING
- os version req.:
- 4.3
- age rating:
- 4+
- in-app purchases:
- No
- hits:
- 2573