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Could someone explain to me why WhatsApp is more popular then say Skype or any of the numerous competitors. I looked at it for the first time today. I find the
by x0054 13y ago
Could someone explain to me why WhatsApp is more popular then say Skype or any of the numerous competitors. I looked at it for the first time today. I find the design of the app to be a bit poor, at least on iOS6. Overall it's a good app that functions well, from what I can see. But so does Skype, for instance. Also, the lack of a PC/MAC client is kind of a letdown.
I know it's silly to argue with facts, clearly people really like this app. But could someone explain to me why? I mean, how is it better than Fring, or Skype, or Viber? Or is it just luck? I am curious because if they did something right, I would love know what it was, so I can do it too :)
- nodata 13y agoDon't compare to skype, compare to sms/mms. WhatsApp is free (pretty much), and you can send _photos_ easily and quickly.
- x0054 13y agoI think HN #2[0] article at the moment just answered my question. J2ME is the key, I can see that. [0] http://blog.textit.in/your-path-to-a-$16b-exit-build-a-j2me-app http://blog.textit.in/your-path-to-a-$16b-exit-build-a-j2me-...
- zyx321 13y agoIn a word: Convenience. WhatsApp has a total overhead of about one minute per year. Registration requires you to enter your phone number. Once. Afterwards you don't have to worry about anything ever again. Maintaining your contact list is a sunk cost, since it runs off phone numbers. It just works.