Web-based chat apps surpass traditional SMS
Analysts at Informa say that mobile phone users worldwide tapped out on average 36.6 billion messages every day in 2012, with almost 19 billion messages sent per day on chat apps and 17.6 billion through SMS texts.
“Once mobile phones started introducing access to free chat applications, users realized that instant-messaging would save them a lot of money in terms of data costs,” says Ahmed Misfar, social media expert. “Either way, mobile operators who think that high-priced services will always remain high-priced and in high demand, will have to worry.”
“Chat apps are much easier and cheaper to use,” says Neil Mohamed, a tech expert based in Dammam. “There is just a very small number of people who prefer the traditional SMS and are comfortable with it only because they do not know how to use instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp and iMessage.”
Mohamed adds that it is no good news for mobile operators who rely on texts as a key money spinner.
An estimate by Ovum, another research firm, stated that the SMS revenue in 2012 fell more than $23 billion, due to popularity of chat apps.
Source: ARAB NEWS