Just in time for December rockies! Popular photo-sharing service, Instagram will let users send private messages to each other before 2014. This comes according to Mashable via GigaOM.

Allowing users to send private messages will add Instagram to the realm of major social networks, including its parent company, Facebook. This could possibly put them in in competition with each other as it will let users interact beyond just likes and comments.

What I’d really like to know is if users would be able to share links with this. Are you excited for this? I know I am. Let us know!

In the small messaging app eats large corporation’s messaging app world, Tecno’s Palmchat is the new one the block. The Chinese have refused to carry last. In the last year we’ve seen Tencent’s WeChat grow astronomically alongside Line, Viber and WhatsApp. They’re growing so fast, Google just had to launch Hangouts in competition.

Enter Palmchat: The most likely and yet unlikely contender. I stumbled across it a few days ago when I was checking out 2go for Android. Palmchat is just like any other messaging service but it’s got features from every other messaging service. Here’s the breakdown

User ID

Each Palmchat user is handed an ID. This ID serves the same purpose as a BlackBerry PIN. You can search users by ID and add them up.

Search
Unlike WhatsApp and other messaging platforms which require you to have a contact’s details before you can message them, Palmchat has Look Around and Search By Info features. Look Around shows Palmchat users around you and how close they are to your location. Search By Info lets you search for a user based on different values of information. Just like how you find friends on Skype.

Chatrooms    Because 2go is a serious competitor (2go came pre-installed on the Tecno N3 in the markets where Tecno is growing), Tecno has created chatrooms for Palmchat. Chatrooms range from Romance to Football and allow users exchange messages around various topics. Chatrooms are also the best places to find new friends (and errr.. set P).

Private Messaging

You can’t have a messaging app without this. Like every other app on the market, Palmchat allows you send private messages to another Palmchat user. You can also attach images and audio files. I like that this part has a slightly different interface from what we’re used to. There’s a message bubble or smiley or file and the timestamp comes below the message.

Shake Shake

Shake Shake is a Tecno hookup tool that displays a random profile when you go to that section and shake your phone. I think they just wanted to add some fun to it.

What does Tecno intend to do with this?

It’s pretty obvious. With the speed at which Tecno’s Android and feature phones are eating up the market, Palmchat will be a serious competitor to other messaging apps. All Tecno has to do is pre-install them on every Tecno phone. Just like Samsung is doing with ChatOn. Palmchat currently has between 1,000 and 5,000 downloads via Google Play. That’s just an estimation but the graph is worth looking at. It’s going upwards. In the future we might even see a video call feature within Palmchat. Then Tecno will join the army of telco competitors.

Mobile social network, 2go finally released an Android version of its popular feature phone app. Founded in 2007 by Ashley Wolff and Alan Peter, the company rose to 10 million active users with only four developers and has been recruiting in the last six months to bring this version to the market.

Alan Wolff says Android is the fastest growing platform in Africa with under $50 devices on the horizon although feature phones make up 88 percent of its 2go’s usage. 2go currently has over 30 million users.

The Android version of 2go retains the mobile service’s chat and chatroom functionality but now supports notifications. We’ve looked through the app and the interface reminds us of WhatsApp’s interface. You’ll also notice WhatsApp-like smileys are available.

Download 2go for Android Here

As the feature phone vs. smartphone battle continues, African app developers will seriously have to look at credible stats and numbers. Android phones are growing fast even though there are data and battery constraints.

What do you think about 2go ‘porting’ to Android?

Here are screenshots of 2go for Android

Following rumors that BBM for Android and iOS will launch on June 27, BlackBerry has said in a statement to Mashable that the rumored date is incorrect.

BlackBerry first announced BBM for Android and iOS at its BlackBerry Live event last month. They also announced a new BlackBerry, the BlackBerry Q5.

The rumour spread after a tweet by T-Mobile UK said that the messaging application will launch for Android and iOS devices on June 27. T-Mobile has since deleted the tweet.

BBM is one of the major attractions to BlackBerry’s range of smartphones.

What do you think about multi-platform BBM? Does it seem like a great move for BlackBerry?

Source: Mashable

BlackBerry announced that they will be allowing their messenger service, BBM go cross-platform to iOS and Android devices starting this summer.

According to BlackBerry, the first version of the new BBM for iOS and Android is expected to have the following features:

• The immediacy of BBM chats
• Multi-person chats
• Voice note sharing
• BlackBerry Groups, where BBM users are able to set up groups of up to 30 people and share calendar, photos, files and more

Looks like iOS and Android users will have to wait for some features like BBM voice, connected apps, video calling and screen share features. The messenger will run on iOS 6 devices and above while the Android version will be compatible with version 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above.

After the announcement, people on Twitter discussed Blackberry’s decision to make its most loved and exclusive app cross-platform. Many loyalists stated this would finally let them switch platforms, while others said it could be damaging to Blackberry sales, but the company isnt looking at it that way.
“[BlackBerry 10's prospects are] so strong that we are confident that BBM can become an independent messaging solution,” Blackberry CEO, Thornsten Heins said.
We just hope that the move is a positive one for the phone makers.

Facebook has launched ‘Facebook Messenger’ an App for Android and iPhone that allows its users send messages through its network. This comes after facebook’s acquisition of group messaging app Beluga in march. This is Facebook’s second official mobile application outside the official Facebook app. It is currently available in the App Store and on Android Market.

The app works very smoothly, all you have to do is login to the messenger and you’ll immediately see your recent chats or messages. Messages are sent in real-time and there’s no need to refresh or reload the app. You can also attach photos to the messages and give message threads a name.

The Messenger also has an alert system. Alerts for new messages can be turned on or off and can be delayed until a specific time. The alert settings can be set for a particular thread or for all messages.

The App is basically the same for iPhone and Android. Here are a few Screenshots of the App

Facebook Messenger is definitely going to give apps like GroupMe and the upcoming iMessages a tough time. What do you think?

Source:Mashable