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Dang, I support your efforts but I just don't have any incentive to pay for a texting app. Normal texting and WhatsApp and discord and Instagram and tiktok mess

Dang, I support your efforts but I just don't have any incentive to pay for a texting app. Normal texting and WhatsApp and discord and Instagram and tiktok messages etc etc are all free. So I just don't really have a reason to subscribe to this.

geor9e 3y ago
Their older app, Beeper Cloud, is free anyhow.
rattray 3y ago
I recently paid >$1000 for the privilege of access to iMessage when switching from Android to iPhone. I'd have been _much_ happier staying on my preferred operating system and paying $24/yr. (iMessage has, for me, actually been worth it - but still, I frequently find myself wishing that something like Beeper Mini existed so I could go back to android).
- azinman2 3y ago
  What do you prefer about Android?
  - rattray 3y ago
    Long list, I've been meaning to write a blog post.
    - eddyg 3y ago
      Would be very interested in seeing the list of things that you feel _aren't_ possible on iOS and aren't things I'd consider extremely "niche" or purely "cosmetic". (Sadly, I'll probably never know if you ever write such a blog post...)
  - cutler 3y ago
    Affordability.
  - PrimeMcFly 3y ago
    How about not being in a walled garden and actually having access to your device?
    - averageRoyalty 3y ago
      Yeah, I hear Android manufacturers and app developers are very encouraging of unlocked bootloaders and user root access. It's not 2008 anymore, we're all in walled gardens now.
      - PrimeMcFly 3y ago
        Many people still buy Androids exactly because you can still flash different roms.
        averageRoyalty 3y ago
        Agreed, and I'm one of them. However flagship devices have been neutered, and core (for many peoples lives) apps require significant compromise. Whilst there are edge cases, the majority of Android users are effectively within a walled garden, which the opposite used to be one of its strongest appeals.
        PrimeMcFly 3y ago
        I'd still say it's not a walled garden, as long as you can install f-droid or the amazon app store. I can still access port, torrents, install a rel alt browser etc. It's a significantly less walled garden.
- dwaite 3y ago
  You switched from Android _just_ for iMessage? Why on earth for? Could you elaborate?
  - quantumsequoia 3y ago
    I did as well. Because there are group chats I need to be in that I can only access if I have iMessage I can't convince dozens of people in the groups to go sign up for signal just to accommodate me
  - robk 3y ago
    it's very hard to socialize with non-techies in the US without it. you miss so much.
  - rattray 3y ago
    For both social and work life it's an important way of communicating for many people. Some people are just a little less quick to message you back if you're a green bubble or ask to use WhatsApp, especially in certain circles.
  - kortilla 3y ago
    In many circles in the US, it is the way to communicate. You just end up left out of “fun” group chats where people want to use iMessage features and then end up left out of actual events because people forgot to invite in the greenie group.
hn_throwaway_99 3y ago
> Normal texting and WhatsApp and discord and Instagram and tiktok messages etc etc are all free. This product is not for you. I don't know where you're commenting from, but I'm guessing it's not from the US. Using WhatsApp or Discord or Instagram or TikTok messages only have value because the people you want to talk to use them. In the US, iMessage is by far the dominant messaging service for iPhone users, and iPhones dominate certain socioeconomic groups. This situation sucks, but there are lots of Android users who get extremely frustrated when a large group of their friends are on iPhones, to the point it can be socially isolating when you're "the odd man out" in a group chat (and it's not the whole green/blue bubbles the media likes to talk about, it's that interoperability between iMessage and other clients sucks and breaks many features). This is a great option for US Android users who want to be able to better communicate with their friends that have iPhones.
- xwolfi 3y ago
  In Hong Kong everyone has an iphone but everyone uses Whatsapp. I'm so surprised iMessage is even used at all, we all consider it a gimmick here, like, Whatsapp and Telegram are so great at their respective subset of features and WeChat does the rest.
- windowshopping 3y ago
  I am in the US and have been here my whole life. My entire extended social circle uses whatsapp. I realize that is the minority but it does exist.
Friskyseal 3y ago
Yeah, the cost is a bummer but if I look at it as spending $2 a month to avoid buying an iPhone, it's worth it.
Ayesh 3y ago
There really is no free lunch. // insert some clever "you are the product" here.

geor9e 3y ago

Their older app, Beeper Cloud, is free anyhow.

rattray 3y ago

I recently paid >$1000 for the privilege of access to iMessage when switching from Android to iPhone. I'd have been _much_ happier staying on my preferred operating system and paying $24/yr. (iMessage has, for me, actually been worth it - but still, I frequently find myself wishing that something like Beeper Mini existed so I could go back to android).

azinman2 3y ago
What do you prefer about Android?
- rattray 3y ago
  Long list, I've been meaning to write a blog post.
  - eddyg 3y ago
    Would be very interested in seeing the list of things that you feel _aren't_ possible on iOS and aren't things I'd consider extremely "niche" or purely "cosmetic". (Sadly, I'll probably never know if you ever write such a blog post...)
- cutler 3y ago
  Affordability.
- PrimeMcFly 3y ago
  How about not being in a walled garden and actually having access to your device?
  - averageRoyalty 3y ago
    Yeah, I hear Android manufacturers and app developers are very encouraging of unlocked bootloaders and user root access. It's not 2008 anymore, we're all in walled gardens now.
    - PrimeMcFly 3y ago
      Many people still buy Androids exactly because you can still flash different roms.
      - averageRoyalty 3y ago
        Agreed, and I'm one of them. However flagship devices have been neutered, and core (for many peoples lives) apps require significant compromise. Whilst there are edge cases, the majority of Android users are effectively within a walled garden, which the opposite used to be one of its strongest appeals.
        PrimeMcFly 3y ago
        I'd still say it's not a walled garden, as long as you can install f-droid or the amazon app store. I can still access port, torrents, install a rel alt browser etc. It's a significantly less walled garden.
dwaite 3y ago
You switched from Android _just_ for iMessage? Why on earth for? Could you elaborate?
- quantumsequoia 3y ago
  I did as well. Because there are group chats I need to be in that I can only access if I have iMessage I can't convince dozens of people in the groups to go sign up for signal just to accommodate me
- robk 3y ago
  it's very hard to socialize with non-techies in the US without it. you miss so much.
- rattray 3y ago
  For both social and work life it's an important way of communicating for many people. Some people are just a little less quick to message you back if you're a green bubble or ask to use WhatsApp, especially in certain circles.
- kortilla 3y ago
  In many circles in the US, it is the way to communicate. You just end up left out of “fun” group chats where people want to use iMessage features and then end up left out of actual events because people forgot to invite in the greenie group.

hn_throwaway_99 3y ago

> Normal texting and WhatsApp and discord and Instagram and tiktok messages etc etc are all free. This product is not for you. I don't know where you're commenting from, but I'm guessing it's not from the US. Using WhatsApp or Discord or Instagram or TikTok messages only have value because the people you want to talk to use them. In the US, iMessage is by far the dominant messaging service for iPhone users, and iPhones dominate certain socioeconomic groups. This situation sucks, but there are lots of Android users who get extremely frustrated when a large group of their friends are on iPhones, to the point it can be socially isolating when you're "the odd man out" in a group chat (and it's not the whole green/blue bubbles the media likes to talk about, it's that interoperability between iMessage and other clients sucks and breaks many features). This is a great option for US Android users who want to be able to better communicate with their friends that have iPhones.

xwolfi 3y ago
In Hong Kong everyone has an iphone but everyone uses Whatsapp. I'm so surprised iMessage is even used at all, we all consider it a gimmick here, like, Whatsapp and Telegram are so great at their respective subset of features and WeChat does the rest.
windowshopping 3y ago
I am in the US and have been here my whole life. My entire extended social circle uses whatsapp. I realize that is the minority but it does exist.

Friskyseal 3y ago

Yeah, the cost is a bummer but if I look at it as spending $2 a month to avoid buying an iPhone, it's worth it.

Ayesh 3y ago

There really is no free lunch. // insert some clever "you are the product" here.