Why should I continue reading rest when you already made insane claim based on nothing. Or have I suddenly been teleported to USA? I primarily use iMessage when I'm sending messages with my phone. I have only one contact that uses Whatsapp.
The rest of the world doesn't have the SMS problem that the US has.
I can confirm essentially no one in western Europe uses iMessage. I've seen people use FaceTime to call friends, but I've yet to even see someone open the iMessage app in person.
I use facetime quite a lot though, because it works better than everything else.
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220315IP...
That's really a simplistic way of thinking. It is marked specific sure, but China have WeChat as the dominate messaging app. Denmark has some level of WhatsApp penetration for sure, but it's lower than iMessage (23% vs 33%), in some circles it is really noticeable if you switch to Android. iMessages is also a bit weird, because a large number of people do not care that it's technically iMessage, it just the messaging app on the phone, meaning it's SMS (even if it's technically not). I believe Sweden is rather similar. You also have to consider how many have multiple messaging apps installed. My guess is that a large number of the WhatsApp users are still available on iMessage.
I don't think it makes sense to entire continent or even countries as being WhatsApp or iMessage. We have to view it in much smaller circles. Like businesses, income classes or circles of friends and family.
>more than 70% of the possible iPhone population doesn't use iMessage.
Based on? Are they not receiving SMS messages at all?
>The rest of the world doesn't have the SMS problem that the US has.
So why are they using Whatsapp?
Anecdotally more people I know use Signal than iMessage, including my non tech savvy sisters and friends. iMessage is too weird and Android too prevalent for anyone to consider using it where I am from (the U.K.)
Those two use Signal/Telegram.
Not denying that there's a fair whatsapp penetration, but iPhones are quite popular and I have many iMessage groups that do not overlap in the membership.
(this is how it sounds)
/s
The cluelessness of the Anglosphere about the rest of the World is very entertaining and sad at the same time.
It is always shocking when people make such baseless claims like "Everyone users iMessage" when a very simple google search would show them this is not the case.
It is a very big world out there and so few realize this.
Indians use Whatsapp, and so does the fourth biggest country in the world, Indonesia.
We all use Whatsapp to discuss everything, from business to personal stuff to memes. I even use Whatsapp calling with some of my friends and colleagues in the USA. My friends circle has a monthly ritual of chatting through Whatsapp group call. I'm also a part of 3 Whatsapp groups to discuss exclusively football, as well as 5 Whatsapp groups for business networking (white shoe finance).
If Zuck were to get pissed and take down Whatsapp from the Apple Store, I know for a fact that a number of my colleagues would immediately buy an Android phone right off the bat, instead of getting Signal or Telegram. I might personally go the Signal option, but without the network effects, I would be driven straight back to Android. That would mean Apple directly losing an entire set of premium customers in markets outside USA and China.
Fun fact:- OPEC dealings are conducted over Whatsapp.
Honestly this "iPhone is objectively better" narrative of some commenters is facepalm worthy.
This is the sort of "but actually" pedantry that I come to HN for. Thank you for your service.
You do see the fault with your logic, correct? you state it is an "insane claim" yet offer zero proof... So effectively "based on nothing"?
Here, take a read:
" WhatsApp announced in 2020 on its blog that the messaging app is actively used by over two billion people worldwide. This puts the green messaging app far ahead of all other messaging apps, such as Facebook Messenger, WeChat, Viber, Apple Business Chat, or Telegram in terms of user numbers. "
Your personal anecdote that you have a "only one contact" is not relevant, what is relevant is statistics.
Yes, in the USA iMessage is more popular https://www.statista.com/statistics/294439/messenger-app-sha...
but here's the thing, the population of the US is rather small vs other countries where whatsapp is very popular.
The one making "insane claims" is actually you.
https://www.verint.com/blog/what-countries-are-the-biggest-w...
Also, having lived in 2 different countries in EU, I have never used WhatsApp. Only iMessage, Signal, and SMS.
If in EU you manage not to use something else than iMessage the you are in a bubble because most people in EU use Android. You somehow managed to have an iPhone bubble but your situation is not the rule but the exception.
By decreasing age:
SMS Whatsapp Signal ? (I'm old enough I don't know what younglings use these days)
iMessage has a more tribal spread due to its platform specifics.
Note: I have zero data to back it up, so please correct me if you have data.
More than likely, but the government is never going to legislate that companies use a technically excellent messaging product. Governments have the strongest incentives to cripple messaging:
1) Government pressure degrades private & secure messaging, because privacy can be used for criminal activity and tax evasion.
2) The US government has the worlds most sophisticated spy network and is constantly looking for ways to get involved in people's communications.
3) The US government has generally identified "misinformation" to be anything the current administration doesn't like. Presently only the right wing is aware of this fact, but I know the left wing can understand the point because they had figured this out under Trump.
Apple's relative market share and strategy is at best a secondary factor, the US government will regulate first and foremost get involved in messaging to cripple the security of the protocols being used.
In the US, Facebook admitted that they saw billions in revenue shortfalls because of Apple’s new prompt that makes user tracking opt in.
Besides, Facebook has already lost 70% of its value. Right now, Facebook is worth 240 billion. Apple is worth 2.2 trillion. Facebook is not exactly operating from a position of strength to throw away its most affluent customers.
Why is there a “messenger war”? Like what’s the end game? Why do you want people using your free messages product? Data? But e2e encryption and privacy are primary features… I don’t get it
Messenger apps have powerful network effects. Imagine all your friends are on iPhone and use iMessage, if you're the only android user in that circle you're getting a degraded experience so there's a strong incentive to move to iphone which means more sales for apple.
(i.e 1 billion people use Messenger X, is the game plan that some one else with an actual business model wants those billion users so they buy it... so Messenger apps are a marketing channel?)
I really distrust Signal for it forcing to add contacts only by phone, not hy sone user ids/nick-names
The more recent bout has their own services in messaging itself; bots to provide enterprise-specific functions to Slack, payment and marketplace tie-ins to Messenger.
If a few companies piss-off each other enough, we might start seeing open protocols for communication
We use WhatsApp by default because of the network effects. FB have no power over Apple here because removing it from iPhones would kill the only reason people use it. The switch to (most likely) Telegram would happen overnight.
I agree that the messaging platforms are not all powerful but they do wield significant power. iPhone is famously good for social media because Instagram and Snapchat camera integration sucked and that was something people consider when buying a new phone.
So there must be a point where switching to a different phone to improve communications is less painful than making all your social circle switch platform for you.
Only time I use WhatsApp is when I’m traveling overseas.
At least taking the example of India, if Whatsapp were to stop supporting iOS, then people would still continue to use Whatsapp in their Android phones.
That is a fantastic point, had never though along those lines. It’d be very interesting to explore if people in, say India, where everyone uses WhatsApp - in that scenario will people drop iPhone, a status symbol, or WhatsApp, a somewhat necessary tool. I don’t think no one knows today and no one wants to find out, risks are too high.
Moreover, in that case it is possible that governments might step in.
That would never happen though because Facebook has enough problems if its own without picking a very risky fight with Apple.
You may be right, but I doubt it is going to be that simple.
I have no idea what all Snapchat offers (never used/installed it). But, FWIW, I think Signal or Telegram have better odds of succeeding in India than Snapchat, but who knows.
Me!
I hate whatsapp ui. And not having desktop app. Tend to use Telegram, and Viber as last resort, to talk with elderly family and with businesses(when ordering something online).
Vibr sucks as well, but not as much as WA.
I remember in France when it was introduced, most phone plans had free SMS, but data was paid (and expensive), so people around me would disable it on their iphones
How come that effect didn't happen in the US?
It also demonstrates the harm with these lock-in strategies very well. They are concerned that their product wouldn't be compelling enough for people to buy it.
Wouldn't be better if they owned the messaging platform and provide the full experience for iOS due to the fact that they control the device? Owning the platform would have given them also the ability to get revenue from non-Apple users through things like payments and other services that can be integrated into the app.
In its current situation, it might be the case that Apple has won the battle but might end up losing the war.