iPhone Instant Messaging Clients Test
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This is one of the most popular chat applications with versions for Windows Mobile, Symbian (S60 and UIQ), and now for the iPhone as well. It is one of the two clients offered in the AppStore with Skype support. It can also be used for MSN, ICQ, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger and AIM or for calls with any VoIP service. As we’ve mentioned in our news article, once the application was released for the Apple phone making calls via fring became a useful feature, despite the imperfect sound quality.
fring offers quite decent IM options. All your contacts (including the phonebook) are gathered in the same tab, and the various icons indicate their status. The chats are in a separate location, but there’s a small problem with them. In a case where you are in a chat room with several of your contacts- as Skype allows- their messages will appear in separate places which is quite confusing. On top of that, if you’d like to change your account, you’ll have to reinstall the application. Nevertheless, we think that this is a very good client and there’s only one another alternative option at the moment, which is…
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fring | |||
Nimbuzz
Nimbuzz also supports Skype, but is it better than fring? We think that in some aspects it is superior. Nimbuzz supports numerous clients besides Skype; such as MSN, ICQ, Yahoo! Messenger, Google Talk, AIM, Gadu-Gadu and Jabber. In addition, you can use social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Hyves, schueleerVZ. It is rather confusing to have many contacts across the different services mixed together as in fring. Luckily Nimbuzz gives you the option to sort them alphabetically or by client to avoid a massive friend list. Throw in the search feature and we can easily manage the contacts. The other nice extra is the option to use the application in a landscape mode, which facilitates the text input (the keyboard buttons are larger). We had a successful Skype conversation but the collocutor asked us not to speak so loudly when we were talking normally from a considerable distance on top of that. At our end of the line, we had no such “problems” with the sound level.
At this point you’re probably convinced that the program is definitely worth it. For the most part yes, but the problem with Nimbuzz is that it needs a bit more polishing. Facebook, for example, didn’t load, and others (ICQ, Skype), exited without a visible cause. So we recommend that you test it yourself! Luckily, the application is 100% free.
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Nimbuzz | |||
BeeJive IM
This is the only paid IM client in the AppStore and in order to take advantage of its services you’ll have to chip in $15.99. It supports AIM, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, MySpace and Yahoo! Messenger. The menus are organized similarly to IM+, and you can modify the order in which the contacts appear, sorting them by type of account or in groups. In addition, there’s a small icon under each name, showing the client in use.
From the chat window, you can switch to different conversations by selecting the nickname. Unfortunately, you are not able to open links or add emoticons. The only feature to justify the purchase of the application us the new message notification even if you’re not using the program. To get those, you have to activate Push Email Alert (from Settings > BeeJive menu) and to enter the e-mail where the notifications should be sent. Overall, BeeJive IM is very user-friendly and convenient for chatting, but it’s not worth paying the $16 when you have such free alternatives as Palringo and fring.
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BeeJive IM | |||
Conclusion:
A general problem for all iPhone applications is that they cannot run in the background while you’re doing something else with the phone. This is very unpleasant especially with the IM clients, because as long as you are having a conversation they’ll have to be on the screen. The only client that offers an alternative notification method is BeeJive, but it is not freeware. However, all the rest do not require a purchase and you can choose the one that fits your lifestyle best.
Apple announced push notification for all applications when they announced the iPhone 3G, meaning that even if a program wasn’t running it could be pinged and woken up when an alert comes in, allowing for virtual running in the background. This, of course, has yet to be implemented and arguably no apps stand to gain more from this than IM clients. We eagerly await this service going live, and will probably have much stronger offerings at that time.
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27 Comments
1. (unregistered) posted on 20 Oct 2010, 01:42 0 0
so now we discuss app for IM ? seriously phone arena, your infatuation with a device so lame as the y phone is an insult to this sites purpose. lets talk about NEW and INNOVATIVE apps and devices for a change, not a app that people have had on their BASIC handsets for years now. lame as usual.
14. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 19:17 0 0
This is getting ridiculous now. Stop clicking the iPhone articles please! Didn't you guys read the headline before clicking the link? Or did you guys come to the forum just to rant? I swear that there is more people who come to every iPhone forum to whine than those who actually have the iPhone. I just want to read an article and comments without having to listen to all this ranting. I really want to know why you guys keep complaining. I know most of you guys don't like the iPhone but what's the point with the constant complaints?do you guys think that complaining about the iPhone is going to make someone not buy it? Complaining won't make any difference at all to apple and their profits and how many people buy the phone. So why keep complaining?
2. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 09:24 0 0
seriously... this is getting ridiculous... next, theyll talk about the phone app... which doesnt work as good as most dumbphones... or, what about the google maps app, which is also available on most phones... this isnt iphoneapps.com... every week, you guys spew out this filth, and why i keep returning to a site that is supposed to be about NEW phones and applications is beyond me... oh well, phonescoop has always been pretty good, as well as boygeniusreport... maybe ill shoot on over to engadgets mobile page... i just know im going to stop coming here, caz all the breaking news is related to iphone apps that are out for EVERY OTHER PHONE!!!
3. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 09:53 0 0
LOL... Stop hattin' on da Iphone. Next time they gonna talk about your crappy bb storm. What mess this 1 has been so far. Fan-boys.
5. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 11:56 0 0
mess? really seems as though we're completely sold out and most consumers seem to love the device. i cant tell you how many people ive ported from other carriers (mostly att). so how about you stop hatin on "da" storm because this has nothing to do with the storm...its just annoying that phonearena is steadily posting crap "news" about apps that are available on 90% of devices out there but make it seem as though its exclusive to the iPhone. nobody said the iPhone was a bad phone. are you sure youre not a faboy?
6. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 12:06 0 0
the storm is horrible... worse than the iphone... but this "news" is garbage... you guys at phonearena needing a reason to hold on to your precious iphone? so you continuously spew this hot garbage and call it news, or better yet, a review on the plethora of apps available for the iphone... im not saying its a bad phone... bad coverage, yeah... but the phones ok... but id rather see some breaking news on newer handsets, NEW applications for other phones/OS (BB, winmo, simbian), new services, or new policies and plans...
4. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 09:53 0 0
cool more iPhone news. if the iPhone takes a shit its reported on here. jesus
7. Maarek Stele posted on 03 Dec 2008, 12:21 0 0
This is why the iPhone SUCKS! You cannot run multiple applications and have to wait for loading times. I'd rather charge up my old Palm and use that rather than the iPhone. Android and Mimo work better by far.
8. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 13:21 0 0
If you're dumb enough to not jailbreak it you are correct. Anyone who truly loves the iPhone has it jailbroken so they can do WHATEVER they want, including run multiple apps. Get your facts straight before you start talking.
9. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 13:23 0 0
It's amazing how there's people who have such a problem with iPhone news. If you don't want to read it or hear about it, it's pretty easy to not click on it am I wrong? If you find you aren't getting the news you want go to a different site and stop making the forums garbage here with your constant bitching like a bunch of little school girls. If I don't like a song on the radio I change stations, not take the time to bitch about it, MOVE ON YOU LOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10. The Commissioner (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 14:18 0 0
iPhoneArena.com has seriously fallen off. Stop making headlines out of deadlines!
11. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 15:32 0 0
Stop beating a dead horse you moron. Don't like it? LEAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 18:58 0 0
@11 STFU, he has a point this site is firmly attached to apples balls. the phones not all that and apps that are avail on virtually every other phone are not news worthy just because this particular one is for the godly iphone
20. (unregistered) posted on 04 Dec 2008, 10:31 0 0
You are the biggest loser alive obviously. if you have such a problem stay out of the articles. It's retarded how much you people bitch about this site yet continue to come back and have diarrhea of the mouth about it. Get a f'ing life and maybe a job to give yourself less time to do the dumbest shit.
13. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 19:10 0 0
there is a lot of stupid FAN-BOYZ in here. F.Y.I phonearena ain't the only one reporting that so get a LIFE...like # 11 said if u don't like it LEAVE or DON'T click on the article. none of u FAN-BOYZ complains when they drop an article or a news about the '' 5.5 review of the storm'' OUCH! is not they fault your crappy phone the '' bb storm'' don't get that much coverage. the NYTIMES, phonescoop, newsday etc... all of them gave bb storm a tumbs down. so get overyaselves because phonearena ONLY doing their job by informing us. by the way STOP sucking on verBLOWzon balls with the FAKE NIKE check on it.
16. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 22:29 0 0
....thumbs down from the nytimes, phonescoop, newsday "etc" hmmm make things up much?
21. (unregistered) posted on 04 Dec 2008, 10:32 0 0
If you don't believe him see for yourself. Go to their sites and see it for your own eyes moron.
15. (unregistered) posted on 03 Dec 2008, 19:46 0 0
I am a iphone user and I got to aggree with everyone what are you thinking phonearena seriously there are websites around who all they do is talk about iphone apps and review those apps etc.
17. (unregistered) posted on 04 Dec 2008, 06:36 0 0
yep, the storm is SUCKS! The bold is way better phone And I love the Iphone so whatever u fan-boys says don't faze me, AT&T or Apple. someone is ready to buying it right now as u read my message. Keep singing....... '' I hate the Iphone'' u moron!
18. (unregistered) posted on 04 Dec 2008, 06:39 0 0
#17... Can also check it urself if don't believe me. Don't get mad. Ha....Ha lol..:::l
