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I've never seen a person in the US actually use WhatsApp to talk to another person in the US. I used to occasionally see someone use it to talk to friends who w

by epmatsw 11y ago

I've never seen a person in the US actually use WhatsApp to talk to another person in the US. I used to occasionally see someone use it to talk to friends who were traveling abroad, but that's mostly been replaced by iMessage or Hangouts at this point.

tjbiddle 11y ago
You answered your own question: In the US. WhatsApp is huge outside of the US. If memory serves correctly, SMS has always been expensive and MMS never really took off - once the data messaging platform came to be WhatsApp really served that market and has done well because of it.
wpietri 11y ago
Whatsapp is hugely popular in many places, just not here: http://www.statista.com/statistics/291540/mobile-internet-user-whatsapp/ http://www.statista.com/statistics/291540/mobile-internet-us...
sangnoir 11y ago
Outside of the US, not everyone has a phone capable of running iMessage or Hangouts. WhatsApp happily runs on feature-phones, because of network effects, many people who can run iMessage/Hangouts and WhatsApp
mikeash 11y ago
WhatsApp's user base is largely non-US, so I wouldn't expect you'd see many people in the US using it compared to its actual popularity.
binxbolling 11y ago
I've paid for WhatsApp and am in the US. Yes, I originally joined to chat with people overseas, but now it's also the sole messaging service I use with multiple US-based contacts. AMA I guess, since apparently fellow Americans don't understand WhatsApp.
- nullrouted 11y ago
  Ya I never really used WhatsApp but I do use Telegram for my friends (US). Why Telegram over WhatsApp or Kik or whatever? Desktop client, it is nice to be able to reply without pulling out my phone at work.
  - nly 11y ago
    Well, there's Whatsapp Web, but it oddly requires you keep your phone connected.
- oldmanjay 11y ago
  Replace "understand" with "care about" and it's a double win - you're closer to the truth, and you aren't condescending in service of defending your favored corporation.

by epmatsw 11y ago

tjbiddle 11y ago

You answered your own question: In the US. WhatsApp is huge outside of the US. If memory serves correctly, SMS has always been expensive and MMS never really took off - once the data messaging platform came to be WhatsApp really served that market and has done well because of it.

wpietri 11y ago

Whatsapp is hugely popular in many places, just not here: http://www.statista.com/statistics/291540/mobile-internet-user-whatsapp/ http://www.statista.com/statistics/291540/mobile-internet-us...

sangnoir 11y ago

Outside of the US, not everyone has a phone capable of running iMessage or Hangouts. WhatsApp happily runs on feature-phones, because of network effects, many people who can run iMessage/Hangouts and WhatsApp

mikeash 11y ago

WhatsApp's user base is largely non-US, so I wouldn't expect you'd see many people in the US using it compared to its actual popularity.

binxbolling 11y ago

I've paid for WhatsApp and am in the US. Yes, I originally joined to chat with people overseas, but now it's also the sole messaging service I use with multiple US-based contacts. AMA I guess, since apparently fellow Americans don't understand WhatsApp.

nullrouted 11y ago
Ya I never really used WhatsApp but I do use Telegram for my friends (US). Why Telegram over WhatsApp or Kik or whatever? Desktop client, it is nice to be able to reply without pulling out my phone at work.
- nly 11y ago
  Well, there's Whatsapp Web, but it oddly requires you keep your phone connected.
oldmanjay 11y ago
Replace "understand" with "care about" and it's a double win - you're closer to the truth, and you aren't condescending in service of defending your favored corporation.