Weekend Open Forum: What's your favorite mobile messaging app?

I'm on SMS still. I'm not a phone-***** so I don't really do lots of messages to begin with, but it's either SMS or Hangouts. But, since no one is on G+ no one is on Hangouts either .... even though it's an easy permanent login.

FB Messenger is not an option since the devs can't get it working on Nexus devices still.
 
For chat apps you need internet and data connection is much more expensive than SMS, except if you have wireless everywhere you go which you probably don't.

But it's even more expensive to pay for SMS on top of data connection since SMS are not included in data plans and always are charged separately.

It makes no sense to pay more for SMS plan when you can send text messages via chap apps on internet connection that you've already paid for.
 
Would someone like to convince me how these are superior to normal SMS texting?

This list is not exhaustive by any means

1. Unlimited free texting to domestic and international users which is the single most important reason
for people who have friends/families in different regions of the world.

2. These apps show when the text is sent, received and seen/read by other party.

3. You can send video/pictures of much bigger size.

4. Voice messages

5. Voice chatting.

6. Proper Group chatting.

7. You maybe use the app from your desktop/Laptop as well.

8. Video chatting.

9. Did I mention free???
 
My personal Favorite is Viber, It has most options as compare to others.
Voice chat, App for desktop/Laptop just to name a few.
I use hangouts, WhatsApp and skype as well.
 
I used to use carrier pigeons until I discovered WhatsApp. I like Viber as well but only 3 people in my contacts book have it installed.
 
But it's even more expensive to pay for SMS on top of data connection since SMS are not included in data plans and always are charged separately.

It makes no sense to pay more for SMS plan when you can send text messages via chap apps on internet connection that you've already paid for.
You don't have to pay SMS on top of data connection, just pay for SMS. I don't know about you, but in my case, SMS is cheaper and everyone uses it, while Whatsapp is only used by a couple of my friends and they barely use it at all cause data connection is expensive and runs out pretty fast.
 
SMS has two things mobile IM doesn’t: interoperability and ubiquity.

SMS is on essentially every cell phone. Mobile IM clients, not so much. If I want to send an sms to a friend, it doesn’t matter what handset they have or what software they’ve installed, I don’t need to know what carrier they use, I don’t need to know any of that. I send it to their cell number and they get it.
 
SMS has two things mobile IM doesn't: interoperability and ubiquity.

SMS is on essentially every cell phone. Mobile IM clients, not so much. If I want to send an sms to a friend, it doesn't matter what handset they have or what software they've installed, I don't need to know what carrier they use, I don't need to know any of that. I send it to their cell number and they get it.

But consider the price of SMS. The last time I did a back of an envelope calculation it costs over 750 bucks per MEGA BYTE for SMS.

This is just obscene! After all, SMS is still just data.

I'd be very interested to hear how this cost can be justified.
 
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