WhatsApp Messenger, a popular cross-platform text messaging alternative, lets you text and talk using only a data plan. But it’s starting to feel inelegant in the face of rising competition.
Just a few years ago, messaging services that sought to replace SMS were few and far between. Among them, WhatsApp(free, 99-cent annual subscription) quickly gained a reputation, particularly abroad, as the leader in the space. Boasting hundreds of thousands of users, it was the service. But a lot has changed since we last took a formal look at WhatsApp. The mobile messaging space is now extremely crowded, and, while WhatsApp has added critical new features like Web messaging and voice calls since my last review, it has started to show its age.