"Easy to invite others. Just sends a simple SMS/text"
and then
"In countries like the US, SMS/Texting is very expensive...Whatsapp solved this problem"
You need texting (a X dollar/month service) to use the service ... which solves the problem of... expensive texting?
I always found that to be somewhat odd, using a service you're trying to replace/compete with as the sole authenticating factor.
Edit: I realized after actually using the app, they do in fact offer an alternative authentication method (call). You have to try (and fail) at the texting method first.
Also, in response to derefr (I deleted my ignorant parent comment), I block texting as even if you don't pay for a plan, you still get random spam texts that you must page for (even if you didn't ask for them)
You send a text to invite someone to download the app and then you transition all your discussion over to their network instead of the SMS network. Hence solving the problem of expensive texts.
I've never seen a phone provider that doesn't still let you receive texts when you aren't paying for a text plan. They're just stupidly expensive to send/receive without a plan. (E.g. $0.50 per SMS.)
>You need texting (a X dollar/month service) to use the service ... which solves the problem of... expensive texting?
Yes. Because texting in most countries has limits (e.g 200 sms per month, for more you pay an amount per text) while you can use WhatsApp for as many texts as you like.
And texting includes MMS (texting with images, sound etc), which is free in WhatsApp, but costs extra in most countries (can even go like $1 per text or more).
What I mean is that most of us already have data plans these days and we are already paying for it. Why pay extra for texting when we can use something like whatsapp that uses the data plan. Not to mention the crazy International texting charges. Even if you have unlimited texting from say T-mobile, you will pay for international texts because the unlimited is only for domestic texts.
It's somewhat of a weaker argument, considering that in most of the world MTs (mobile-terminated messages) are free, with charges applying only for MOs (mobile-originated).
Also, even in the US, a combo voice+text plan with heavy texting is still going to be cheaper for a combo voice+data plan, so average user ends up paying more money, not less.
Mobile plans vary significantly between countries. Using the US pricing structure as an example simply doesn't work. Just because a data plan is more expensive in the US doesn't necessarily mean it will be more expensive elsewhere.
and then
"In countries like the US, SMS/Texting is very expensive...Whatsapp solved this problem"
You need texting (a X dollar/month service) to use the service ... which solves the problem of... expensive texting?
I always found that to be somewhat odd, using a service you're trying to replace/compete with as the sole authenticating factor.
Edit: I realized after actually using the app, they do in fact offer an alternative authentication method (call). You have to try (and fail) at the texting method first.
Also, in response to derefr (I deleted my ignorant parent comment), I block texting as even if you don't pay for a plan, you still get random spam texts that you must page for (even if you didn't ask for them)