Smart phones are used for various tasks, and traditional phone calls are not necessarily the first item in this list. There are better communications options in smartphone that are available for a great; one of the major is Instant Messaging, or IM. This requires only a phone with an Internet connection and one of the many IM-clients, the benefit they have long since migrated from the desktop to mobile platforms. With some messengers for the Android platform and we are now acquainted.
Let’s start with the official client ICQ – not because it is the best, but simply because it is “ICQ”, the former for a long time the only means of Internet communication, though losing ground, but still remains one of the most popular messaging services.
Despite the fact that the official client, it has the support not only of the protocol – to ICQ Messenger can be plugged as Facebook, Google Talk, “Classmates” and StudiVZ Talk (IM student of social networks, popular in Germany). The client is completely free, does not display advertising, keeps a history of correspondence, the other party can send pictures and video (the camera is calling from the window of the dialog, you can also choose the existing files). If the application is running in the background, incoming messages can be displayed in a popup window (with a quick response).
Google Talk
Make much sense to talk about Google Talk is not because this is a standard application in the Android-smartphone, but do not mention it in this review is also impossible, because without it he would not be complete.
Application as a simple setup at least. Of course, only supported by native services, other protocols are not here. But the Google client supports not only text chat, and voice, and video – so that Google Talk can be an excellent alternative to Skype, if for some reason you are not satisfied.
The official client Skype. Expected, supported by only one service – their own. But for it offers maximum functionality – if the multi-protocol instant messenger that supports Skype, only text chat is implemented, the native client is, and voice and video calls. Of course, you can call not only to other devices with the client installed Skype, but also to regular phones – for an additional price, of course, but it is much lower rates of mobile operators for calls while roaming. You can also send photos, videos and other files. It is possible to synchronize the list of Skype contacts with a phone book, after which they will appear in the list in your “dialer”.
Unfortunately, the application is not ideal, partly due to the disadvantages of the features of the protocol (for example, sending messages to offline can work quite mysteriously). Skype client rather heavyweights can connect to the service for a long time, some users complain of periodic crashes and heavy consumption of the battery.
IM + All-in-One Mobile Messenger
One of the best multi-protocol instant messenger that supports a huge number of different services – MSN, Facebook, Google Talk, Skype, Yahoo!, ICQ, AOL, Classmates, Jabber, etc. (And for each protocol can be connected to multiple accounts). The interface is optimized for smartphones and tablets. In the first case, it contains 3 screens (the “Contacts”, “Chats”, “Accounts”) you can switch between them as a touch to the title and simply flipping the left / right. On the plates on the left side shows a switchable contact list / chat rooms on the right – in fact the current correspondence.
It supports group chats in Skype, it is possible to preserve the history of correspondence, receiving notifications on a set of text block messages from people not included in the list of contacts, group contacts, both in their groups, and on the accounts. On Android 2.2 + is supported by the regime Google Push, allowing services to remain connected to the exit from the program or work in the background.
The free version does not support Skype – if you try to add an account or make the program offers in-app purchase package Skype (valid until January 1, 2013) or go to the IM + Pro ($ 40 USD.). Also, it shows the ads, you can get rid of it the same way – either you buy the package “No Advertisement”, or transition to a Pro-version of the program.
Trillian for Android – a large part of the service, in which there is both an application for desktop systems (Windows, Mac OS), and mobile platforms (Android, iOS, BlackBerry), and Web-based interface. In addition to its own services Astra, also supported by many other IM-protocols – ICQ, AIM, IRC, Google Talk, Facebook, Jabber, Windows Live Messenger, etc.
The client for Android is available in the free version with banner advertising. You can disable it by going to the Pro-version of the program, the price of which is to say the least bite: $ 1 per month, $ 12 per year or $ 60 for life. Some consolation is the fact that Pro-subscription applies to the entire service Trillian, and not just Android-client – given that the history of correspondence in Trillian is synchronized between all customers, it makes sense to use this service on all available platforms at your disposal.
The rest of the functionality of Trillian for Android fairly average – contacts from various services in total output tape, grouped by service or user-created groups, there is a battery saving mode, the ability to send a notification e-mail at work in the background, as well as to support Wi-Fi connection when the phone is “asleep.”
The strength of this messenger is to support a large number of other protocols – except his own life, imo can also be used to communicate with Skype and Google Talk, ICQ, Facebook, Steam, MSN, Yahoo!, Jabber, Facebook, etc. Contacts are displayed in one list, a grouping of services, each group can be optionally hide.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that near the contact show the option “voice call”, imo they can perform only through its own network – voice calls to Skype and Google Talk are not supported. In this case, the voice message can be sent using the Voice IM – it is passed as MP3-file. In addition, the menu has the option to send the source file – images, photos, video or audio. Log in to the service imo, you can use an account in Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin (or by using your phone number), and connect to it all other accounts.
In addition to Android, imo is available for iOS, Blackberry and Nokia, on the desktop; you can use the web interface. It is curious that with such a feature imo is completely free – the client is no banner ads, no paid subscription or a Pro-version. Let’s hope that this situation will remain the case in the future.
Another communication service that supports not only its own services, but also a number of other – Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo!, Facebook and Google Talk. As you can see, ICQ and Skype immediately available, which greatly reduces the value of Nimbuzz for users. In addition to Android, Nimbuzz is available on iOS, Blackberry, Symbian, as well as desktop systems (Windows / Mac OS). In addition, it can be used on conventional phones – there is a Java-version of Nimbuzz.
First of all, it will be interesting as an alternative to Skype – Nimbuzz supports VoIP-telephony, with free calls to users Nimbuzz (and, of course, pay at the regular phone number). Unfortunately, video calling in this life there, so I have to settle for voice chat.
Another service, an interesting first of all its telephony. With fring, you can communicate with friends in a text chat and make voice and video calls. In addition to Android, fring is also available for iOS and from Nokia, plus you can use the service by opening a page on a mobile browser. Curiously, desktop client for this service do not. As usual, users with fring calls are free, to regular telephone numbers (fringOut) – for the money. We should also mention the possibility of video conferencing (up to 4 participants).
In addition to its service, fring also supports the ICQ, Google Talk (with voice calls), AIM, Yahoo!, MSN Live and SIP.
Not a very pleasant surprise was a banner on display in your contact list and chat window, plus the annoying ads from automatically being added to the list of contacts bot fring-friend – or toll calls generate too little money, or the developer fring is more avidly than the competition …
One of the most unusual messengers in this survey, our users and it is almost unknown, despite its popularity in the world (Google Play it very exorbitant rates – the number of units from 50 to 100 million, the number of evaluations – over 1 million, which for a minute, twice in Skype).
The singularity of it is that it is positioned as an alternative to SMS – the phone owner does not have to worry about the supported protocols, registered in certain services, care for compiling a list of contacts, etc. WhatsApp Messenger as a user ID using the phone number (for which the first run will be invited to receive a service SMS), and after installation in your phone book for contacts that also use this messenger, a new field with an icon WhatsApp. Accordingly, sending messages through the service to the user practically no different from sending SMS (WhatsApp can even replace the system SMS-application). Here are just opportunities for WhatsApp order of magnitude larger – you can send the other party is not only text messages, but also audio / video / photo of a finger to share with your contacts and location, send correspondence by email and much more. For work, of course, requires an Internet connection – is the only thing WhatsApp as the traditional SMS.
Note that the Android-version WhatsApp rather interesting scheme of distribution – while the iOS it costs $ 1 for Android is available free of charge … for 1 year. After that the user will have to pay $ 1 for each additional year of use.
Results
As you can see, there are plenty to choose – only notable applications had accumulated more than a dozen. If you need audio calls, the selection is small – or Skype or Google Talk , depending on where you live friends. If you need a Skype text chat only, and to communicate with the official client does not want to because of its heaviness, it is worth paying attention to the imo instant messenger or IM +. If emailing is often an SMS with your friends, try to convince them to try WhatsApp Messenger.
