iphones should have a BBM equivalent.

[BlahBlahYouToo]

with so many iphones out there, this would make too much sense.

and my BB friends are dropping like flies.

 

[TheStu]

What is the difference between BBM and MMS?

 

[randomlinh]

What is the difference between BBM and MMS?

from what i understand, it's basically more like an IM client. and you know when ppl read msgs or something. and since it's on the BB network, it doesn't matter where you are in the world.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

from what i understand, it's basically more like an IM client. and you know when ppl read msgs or something. and since it's on the BB network, it doesn't matter where you are in the world.

Right, but you need internet wherever you are in the world to get it. So in essence you could use an IM client on the iPhone and have push notifications tell you stuff anywhere in the world?

After all you are dependent on internet either way.

 

[QueBert]

The iPhone & Android both have BBM'ish apps. I had a BB but never once used BBM so I have no idea about it except how it looks.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

Right, but you need internet wherever you are in the world to get it. So in essence you could use an IM client on the iPhone and have push notifications tell you stuff anywhere in the world?

After all you are dependent on internet either way.

there's no 'standard' IM client for the iPhone, like BBM for BB's.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

The iPhone & Android both have BBM'ish apps. I had a BB but never once used BBM so I have no idea about it except how it looks.

it's great. highly preferred over MMS or IM clients.

 

[tokie]

I don't see why Apple doesn't provide an iChat client for the iPhone. Why you have both iChat video and FaceTime on a Mac makes no sense.

Oh wait, it is because the carriers have Apple's balls and don't want to give up text messaging revenue.

 

[Shlong]

There's a free app for iphone & android devices called Kik Messenger which is very similar to BBM.

 

[MrX8503]

There's kik, whatsapp, and pingchat that does similar things.

But its difficult to get people to use those apps.

 

[akugami]

For regular text messaging, if you have an Android or iOS based device, just use Google Voice for free text messaging. You even get an alternative phone number that you can use as for call forwarding purposes.

Anyone who is smart should take advantage of this and kill any text messaging costs, which are highly highly overpriced.

 

[TheStu]

For regular text messaging, if you have an Android or iOS based device, just use Google Voice for free text messaging. You even get an alternative phone number that you can use as for call forwarding purposes.

Anyone who is smart should take advantage of this and kill any text messaging costs, which are highly highly overpriced.

I will have to wait until Google Voice comes to WinMoPho before I can try that out. I wouldn't mind dropping my text plan, or at least dialing it back to the $5 option.

 

[MrX8503]

I think people are not understanding what BBM is.

BBM or anything equivalent (whatsapp, kik, pingchat, etc) has the ability to send a message and then see that the person read it. This can also apply to video/pics. I don't know if BBM can do this, but the other apps also allow group chats as well.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

there's no 'standard' IM client for the iPhone, like BBM for BB's.

There's no standard client, yes I understand that, but it's the AIM service or MSN Messenger service or whatever the hell people use. There's plenty of clients out there just like there are twitter clients for the iPhone or Android or any other platform for that matter.

BBM is great in that it allows you to see when someone's read the message, but you're creating yet another messaging service that requires membership and people to use.

Some people will use facebook or AIM or whatever regardless to chat with people. Why not just integrate into that?

 

[cronos]

Two things about BBM:

1. Building up on what MrX8503 mentioned about delivery/opened receipt, BBM is not only about chatting or sending picture/video messages. You can also create groups, which have their own 'chat room' and picture/video gallery. It is pretty much like a mini virtual community with full features on your phone. Chats, picture/video upload and commenting, etc. And you can have multiple of these at the same time for different group of friends.

2. The biggest difference of BBM messaging compared to SMS/MMS is the cost. SMS/MMS is charged per message (yes, most carriers have an option for unlimited messaging for a monthly fee, but technically they are still charged per message), while BBM messages are charged as data. Simply put, it's probably a hundred times cheaper.

Having said that, all of the above is of no use to you if you don't know anybody who also uses a Blackberry as a social tool (which pretty much covers most people in the US). To me, however, who have lots of friends in countries where Blackberries are ubiquitous as a social-media goto gadget, it's unbelievably useful.

Back to the topic, I completely agree. If Apple decided to create something like BBM, it's going to be absolutely huge.

 

[akugami]

I wouldn't count out Apple on a BBM alternative or similar service. Recently Apple has been hiring a lot of sales executives who used to work at RIM. I'm sure those guys are going to be requesting Apple invest/develop similar features to what was available on RIM's Blackberries.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

There's no standard client, yes I understand that, but it's the AIM service or MSN Messenger service or whatever the hell people use. There's plenty of clients out there just like there are twitter clients for the iPhone or Android or any other platform for that matter.

BBM is great in that it allows you to see when someone's read the message, but you're creating yet another messaging service that requires membership and people to use.

Some people will use facebook or AIM or whatever regardless to chat with people. Why not just integrate into that?

a lot of people stuck with BB because they were hooked by BBM.
imagine if apple had a stronghold like that.

 

[TheStu]

a lot of people stuck with BB because they were hooked by BBM.
imagine if apple had a stronghold like that.

Not disregarding the merits of BBM since i have never used it. But imagine if Apple had a stronghold on people's wallets and interests by making it stupidly easy to download inexpensive (or not) or free apps that are only available there.

Oh wait.

 

[Bateluer]

Not disregarding the merits of BBM since i have never used it. But imagine if Apple had a stronghold on people's wallets and interests by making it stupidly easy to download inexpensive (or not) or free apps that are only available there.

Oh wait.

Not so much a stronghold as a shanty.

 

[gorcorps]

I used BBM very lightly when I had my Pearl, and I don't see why it's so loved. I didn't see it do anything that email and aim can't do. Just email each other... how hard is that?

 

[DjUnternull]

closest thing is kik messenger, it was on android/iphone/berry
RIM recently removed core functionality of the app because it was a threat to them, it still works just not the same