WhatsApp message traffic now exceeds that of SMS

WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum has announced that the popular cross-platform messaging app now handles up to 54 billion messages per day on average.

Outbound messages accounted for 36 billion and inbound for the rest.

Mobile analyst Benedict Evans tweeted, following the news, suggesting that WhatsApp traffic now exceeds that of global SMS sent daily.

WhatsApp has over 400 million active monthly users, each of which pay just $1 a year for the service. The numbers are even more impresive given that the company has just 50 employees and has never spent any money on marketing.

WhatsApp message volume growth is still accelerating. Has probably now overtaken SMS. pic.twitter.com/KsR85Mplrt
-- Benedict Evans (@BenedictEvans) January 20, 2014

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 20 Jan 2014 10:17

A5J4DX

A brilliant accomplishment!

20.1.2014 18:39 #1

pensfan12

Quote:WhatsApp has over 400 million active monthly users, each of which pay just $1 a year for the service.
Theres no way that is correct. I have got my service extended for free, and I know I am not the only one.

20.1.2014 23:59 #2

GernBlan

Sorry, gotta call bull$hit on this one. There's no way that they're handling more messages than SMS, especially when rather high-tech people like me (and anyone I know) have never even heard of it.

SMS is already cross-platform. Hey lookee lookee! I invented something awesome and new! I call it....the wheel. Sheesh.

24.1.2014 11:44 #3

0ldskool

Originally posted by GernBlan: Sorry, gotta call bull$hit on this one. There's no way that they're handling more messages than SMS, especially when rather high-tech people like me (and anyone I know) have never even heard of it.

SMS is already cross-platform. Hey lookee lookee! I invented something awesome and new! I call it....the wheel. Sheesh. If you have never heard of whatsapp I don't think you can claim to be someone who is "high-tech", whatever that means... Maybe you should state yourself as someone who has a slightly above average knowledge (for your age group) in the use of some technologies. Whatsapp is the mostly widely known, of the current trend, of messaging apps and has been for a very long time. Although I do not use it I have never come across a single person, in my age group, who has not heard of whatsapp.

The average woman would rather have beauty than brains, because the average man can see better than he can think.
--quote by unknown

27.1.2014 21:03 #4

GernBlan

Originally posted by 0ldskool: If you have never heard of whatsapp I don't think you can claim to be someone who is "high-tech", whatever that means... Maybe you should state yourself as someone who has a slightly above average knowledge (for your age group) in the use of some technologies. Whatsapp is the mostly widely known, of the current trend, of messaging apps and has been for a very long time. Although I do not use it I have never come across a single person, in my age group, who has not heard of whatsapp. Would being a career network engineer for 25 years qualify as "high-tech"? Not sure what the "for your age group" dig is supposed to be -- are you thinking I'm too old or too young? If too old to be "up on things", think again. My generation made the internet what it is today, and I've been using it since before it was actually called, The Internet. If too young, then think again -- I didn't start my tech career when I was -5 years old.

The likely reason why I have never heard of the app is there's really no purpose for it. I looked it up on Google Play (funny, I've searched for SMS alternatives when flashing a ROM to my phones results in quirky SMS performance, but this supposed end-all, be-all messaging app didn't show up in any of previous searches -- go figure), and the developer's own description of their app is basically identical to SMS/MMS, which is built-in to every smartphone I've used. I can already send videos, photos, unlimited length texts, group chat, etc. The only difference is that I'd have to pay $1 per year after the first year for Whatsapp, whereas unlimited SMS/MMS is already included in the monthly fees of my smartphone.

In other words, they're reinventing the wheel. So why is it so popular? I have no idea, but it's not like the typical tech users always make the most intelligent decisions. Look how many people stupidly overpay for Apple products. I can definitely tell you that I've never once in my decades of having a mobile phone been told by someone, "Yeah, man, I'll 'WhatsApp' you the info later, okay?"

27.1.2014 23:32 #5

Jemborg

I don't have a mobile phone and I've heard of WhatsApp.

I get you though. My only guess is that not everybody gets unlimited SMS like yourself...

Its a lot easier being righteous than right.

28.1.2014 02:30 #6

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