With the release of iOS 5, Apple has also included an application know as iMessage. Earlier this application was hyped to take over BBM and some of the cross platform applications such as whatsapp. Till the time we didn’t use iMessage, we called it a game changer. But now when it has been released, we think that the application could have been done better. Though the application provides a fantastic interface of receipt and delivery but at the same time, doesn’t include contact and map sharing options directly.
It means that you would require to navigate to Contacts and Maps if you desire to share your contacts info and locations with your friends. In addition to it, it badly messes up with the SMS application on iPhone. iMessage doesn’t have a separate application and all of those SMS+iMessages merge in a single Messages application which makes things difficult to sort out. Though, it makes a different thread but has its own limitations. These limitations includes the inability to switch OFF Message tones only for iMessage and turn them ON for SMS.
If you include +91 before a number, it would be sent in SMS application thread. Otherwise, Message application will determine that it belongs to iMessages. Unlike whatsapp, it doesn’t sort out people automatically who are on iMessage, that is, you would never know how many of your friends have upgraded or present on iMessage without asking them. Another thing is that you don’t have option for edition of group names where one can provide name of groups depending upon the type of conversation. Also, you can’t add more people once you have started the conversation in groups.
I think iMessage application could have been made better if these options would have been included from the very first day. I would not call it useless but considering the competition, it still lacks in basic features. May be, next iOS version could have them all in 2012 😀 What do you think?
[update]: We have learned that +91 feature is still confusing for many people out there. So, we wouldn’t like to comment on it till we analyze it a bit more. Till then you can assume it to be a misstatement in the article.