How do apps like WhatsApp get popular? They offer inferior service in every way to builtins, and require that both parties have installed something. SMS is in every way better unless you don't have a texting plan, in that case, GTalk and iMessage are in every way better (And GTalk is even cross platform with several fairly simple XMPP clients on IOS). Who uses this shit?
I encountered the same thing recently with Raidcall. It's a shitty voice service that's in every way inferior to Skype, but trying to position itself as a competitor to Teamspeak (Which itself has been eclipsed on features and price by Mumble). Yet, somehow people will argue with you about it and evangelize it, without any sort of benefit comparison.
No, there was an app Ping, which was around earlier than WhatsApp. It was ugly and didn't work well. WhatsApp is easy to set up, easy to use, and have relatively good functionality.
I am not a fan of whatsapp either but its popularity may have somethig to do with zero setup and no username and password to remember. A neat idea but this could have certainly been done better. The app may have some basic infrastructure problems but average person unfortunately does not care.
You account is your phone number which is a really smart thing I think. Therefore you do not have to add each of your contacts one by one. And when someone in your contact list installs WhatsApp they automatically show up in your WhatsApp contacts.
I encountered the same thing recently with Raidcall. It's a shitty voice service that's in every way inferior to Skype, but trying to position itself as a competitor to Teamspeak (Which itself has been eclipsed on features and price by Mumble). Yet, somehow people will argue with you about it and evangelize it, without any sort of benefit comparison.