October 20, 2011

Here comes yet another reason why you should also buy an iPhone if you already have an iPad, or an iPad if you already have an iPhone: iMessage – which I am reviewing here.

iMessage is not multi-platform like WhatsApp (and many other such messaging apps) but it is better integrated with Apple services and offers additional goodies so it’s worth using.

The general idea of iMessage is why should you pay fees for text messages (also known as “SMS”) if you already pay for flat rate mobile Internet? No reason. No reason at all. And besides: you can also use it without a cellular network connection like with iPad WiFi or iPod touch.

First things first

To use iMessage you need to enable your Apple ID for iMessage (you can use a different Apple ID than for your app store or iTunes).

Interestingly you can use more than one Apple ID or email to receive iMessage messages on one device.

Once all is set-up you can send messages via iMessage, both via your iPad and your iPhone.

Note that you can send text messages (including a subject if desired) and that you can see that the other side is typing a message by “…” symbol. You can also share photos, videos and location (but only from within maps app).

You can send iMessage messages from various apps, including the fantastic Find My Friends app, but first you need to have your Apple ID signed into iMessage (via settings as seen in the above screenshot).

You can also send messages from within the Find My Friends app (with preferred way being over Internet not SMS/text):

If the other side doesn’t have iOS-powered device, iMessage messages are being sent via SMS/text:

Conclusions

While iMessage is not available for multiple platforms like WhatsApp, iMessage is more reliable than WhatsApp. And thanks to the integration with Find My Friends makes it is more comfortable to organize groups together. If you have only one iOS device, iMessage is another great reason to buy a second one: I know that many people now own, for example, an iPad and a BlackBerry or Windows Phone, but with iMessage buying an iPhone instead, really makes sense!

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