WhatsApp for iOS to Adopt Subscription Model By End of 2013

Popular messaging app WhatsApp , is making some big announcements for the iOS users. To make iOS version of the app in line to Android; it is said that an annual subscription is on the way. Currently, proud iOS users have to pay just $0.99 to use the service for the life time.

No annual subscription model has been introduced by the folks over at WhatsApp for the iPhone users. It is said that the new subscription model would be applicable to new users. When compared the service open for Android or Windows , consumers are free to use the messaging service for free for the first year and then pay a mere $1( Rs.55) per annum.

Reported by two Dutch blogs, Techtastic and Tweakers (via Tech Crunch), Jan Koum, CEO, WhatsApp didn't specify the exact reason for change, but echoes loud to make the approach simpler than ever.

"We‘re relaxed on dates, but definitely this year. It's on the road map ", Jan Koum, CEO, WhatsApp. The interview sheds light on the desktop version of the service. Mr. Koum is not at all interested in making WhatsApp app available on desktops.

"We get that question asked a lot, "said Mr. Koum. He further said that the whole world is going mobile and desktop computing is getting secondary in the lives of consumers. Another important topic was raised that was of live "video streaming ". No it's not happening this year, as said by Mr. Koum.

WhatsApp was founded by Brain Acton and Jan Koum in 2009. The cross-platform app is available for iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry 10 OS, Symbian S40, Symbian S60 and Windows Phone platform. Of lately, the messaging app has become the most popular platform to reckon with. On a daily basis, the app handles 10 billion messages per day (as per August 2012).

Incidentally, many BlackBerry users who were addicted to BBM have now shifted to WhatsApp. Well, many even say that the popular app has made SMS obsolete. Another popular messaging app is LINE. The app which is available on Android, iOS, BlackBerry and Windows Phone, has crossed 100 million users this very year. The LINE app can be found on PCs as well. It was earlier speculated that Facebook wished to acquire WhatsApp, but the news went to garbage soon after.

Some of the alternatives to WhatsApp are Nimbuzz, WeChat, BBM and Samsung's ChatOn. Recently, it was revealed that Nimbuzz has managed to cross 150 million users worldwide. The service is quite popular in the Indian subcontinent.