WhatsApp Messenger
for iOS devices is now free. With this, the app now has the same subscription
model as can be seen in the Android and Windows Phone versions, with the first
year being free for new users and maintaining subscriptions for subsequent years
costing $1 per year. However, those who have already bought the app need not
worry about the subscription, since they already have a lifetime subscription
to the service at no extra charge. This move hasn't been a surprise. WhatsApp
CEO Jan Koum had talked about bringing the subscription model to the iOS
version of the app in an interview with Dutch journalist Alexander Klopping
back in March. This is undoubtedly in an attempt to widen the potential
audience for WhatsApp. For many, even the low price tag of WhatsApp (Rs 55) was
too much for something they just wanted to try out. However, it is worth noting
that even back when it was a paid app, it was still on the top 10 paid apps
list on the iTunes App Store. WhatsApp has
maintained its leadership, claiming over 250 million monthly active users with
more than 27 billion messages processed in a single day. While it was always free on Android,
WhatsApp used to cost $0.99 on iOS, which also made it among the all-time top
10 revenue grossing apps on the App Store. Despite growing competition in the
mobile messaging space, WhatsApp has maintained its leadership, claiming over
250 million monthly active users with more than 27 billion messages processed
in a single day. The move of making WhatsApp free on iOS is particularly
interesting considering its paid status would have been a barrier for a big
chunk of iPhone users especially in emerging markets who don’t buy paid apps
from the App Store. However, WhatsApp is not exactly free as it would charge $1
every year after the first year. That’s the same case with Android, though we
are yet to hear of anyone who’s been charged after the first year and the free
period automatically gets extended. WhatsApp remains one of the few free
services that doesn’t make revenues by serving ads to users. (WhatsApp’s
co-founder Jan Koum explains why WhatsApp doesn’t sell ads here.) It also does
not advertise its services anywhere, unlike rival WeChat that has roped in
football star Lionel Messi as its brand ambassador. Setting the iPhone app free
could be WhatsApp’s way of responding to competition for the moment while it
prepares to release new features. The latest update, for instance, adds the
ability to share multiple photos and backup chats on iCloud. We here the company
is also working on features like push-to-talk, which could be released in the
near future. Recently, the company said
it was bigger than Twitter
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