WhatsApp Messenger to Move to Yearly Subscription Model

POST

MAIL

Posted March 18, 2013 at 6:44pm by Shalom Levytam

WhatsApp Messenger is planning to make the move to a yearly subscription model for its iOS app, reports TechCrunch.

Jan Koum, WhatsApp’s CEO, said that the company will make the shift sometime this year for new users only. His interview with Dutch journalist Alexander Klopping was obtained by TechCrunch who highlighted some other key takeaways as well.

– On a desktop version: “We get that question asked a lot,” Koum said of desktop apps. “We feel strongly that the world is moving to mobile and [so] we want to be mobile-only. Your phone is with you all the time, and desktop is to many becoming a secondary experience. [So] our answer is no, not anytime soon.”

– On live streaming video: “definitely not this year.”

– On exit strategies in general: “We don’t discuss exit strategies internally,” Koum said. “A lot of companies in Silicon Valley talk about exit strategies. The way we look at it, is it’s like entering a marriage and talking about divorce. We just don’t have one. We don’t have one because we don’t plan or want to think about it. We want to focus on good products.”

– On cannibalizing carrier revenues: “We actually have really good relationships with a lot of carriers. We’re doing some revolutionary stuff. The world is switching to data [and we have] some good partnerships, for example with Three in Hong Kong.” That partnership gives Three subscribers access to WhatsApp when they travel internationally for the equivalent of about $6/day. “We understand that a lot of people are switching to our product instead of SMS but we look at it as evolution.”

You can purchase WhatsApp Messenger from the App Store for $0.99.

[App Store]

WhatsApp Messenger to Move to Yearly Subscription Model

Follow iClarified

ddxd - April 16, 2013 at 5:07pm

Make it free or we're gone.

anan - April 17, 2013 at 4:14pm

aaaaaaaaa

ZeeZoo-14 - April 20, 2013 at 5:11pm

گييف نحمله ممكن اعرف؟؟؟

Albert Chew - March 20, 2013 at 2:17pm

They start charging, we start leaving... There're many other choices out there. Good luck!

Sharp - March 20, 2013 at 7:53am

The people I know use Viber So no need for WhatsApp messenger

javed - March 20, 2013 at 6:03am

my whats app not working pls help me some masg come IS NO LONGER ALLOWED TO USE OUR SERVICE what i do pls tell me

fofo2127 - March 20, 2013 at 2:37am

واتس اب

f1982 - March 19, 2013 at 1:08pm

First it was free, then it cost £0.69 and now they want an annual subscription? How about no, I'll just use iMessage and all the free SMS messages I get from my carrier anyway. Anyone I can't get in touch with feom there I can Facebook message or email much easier and free. I don't see why whatsapp is so popular at all when you have to pay for it.

asas - March 19, 2013 at 1:21am

I stopped reading at "for new subscribers" thanks.

Bob Fry - March 18, 2013 at 11:29pm

Better be a real cheap subscription or fuckem.

JamesHoyland23 - March 18, 2013 at 10:06pm

I think that this WhatsApp app should be for iPod touches aswell but change the phone icon image into a iPod image so it will work on all iPod touches.

Waleesa - March 18, 2013 at 8:39pm

I think he's wrong about not making a desktop version. Yes mobile is primary but convergence is key. And the desktop app can be implemented without using a username/password system.

Crunch - March 19, 2013 at 12:19am

I totally agree! Just like iMessage for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and the Mac (no Windows, of course, because that's a selling point for Macs), I constantly send iMessages from all three of my devices, mostly from my iPhone and Mac, though. In fact, one of the BEST parts is the fact that I can basically text from my Mac, which is obviously so much more comfortable than typing on the phone. Very similarly is FaceTime, which also works across iOS and OS X platforms. I use it on my iPad, iPhone and Mac, sometimes even the external Cinema Display attached to the Mac. It's awesome!

Freddy_ace - March 19, 2013 at 4:30am

Completely agree. I just don't see the logic in not wanting to increase your install base to tablets and desktops of all os's. if they do that they'll be the de-facto messaging service. Why would any want to go elsewhere?