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48 billion fewer text messages as savvy Brits use WhatsApp and other free services


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Old 27-03-2016, 16:31
Anika Hanson
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Some people are using Skype, so am I meant to leave Skype on available? some people use What'sapp, then there's Viber and Snapchat and Facebook messenger all these other ones.

Then people wonder why they've got no battery half way through the day and say things like "why can't manufacturers make a phone that lasts for the day" mine lasts for 2 days with a bit of browsing, some checking news, weather, other apps, calls, texts etc. I'm quite sure that not having multiple messaging apps is something to do with that. Everyone has SMS and it's dirt cheap and part of the phone contract, so that's all I use.
Well I use multiple messaging apps, browse the net, watch YouTube videos, check Facebook, flip board, check the weather, check Instagram and my battery lasts a day and a half on a single charge.
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Old 27-03-2016, 16:50
Aye Up
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You've obviously not used Whatsapp in the last year then !

(For iphones SMS delivery reports are impossible too)
I have used WhatsApp, yesterday as a matter of fact. Blue double tick?

EDIT: Judging by the fact I can receive delivery reports........should tell you I don't own an iPhone..........not cool enough
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Old 27-03-2016, 16:52
Aye Up
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No, you only know that it's reached their phone.
School boy error, my apologies!
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Old 27-03-2016, 17:03
Mark C
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I have used WhatsApp, yesterday as a matter of fact. Blue double tick?

EDIT: Judging by the fact I can receive delivery reports........should tell you I don't own an iPhone..........not cool enough
You're probably not on O2 either, unless you don't mind typing *0# in front of every SMS !
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Old 27-03-2016, 19:03
Aye Up
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You're probably not on O2 either, unless you don't mind typing *0# in front of every SMS !
Your detective skills proved correct. Vodafone is the only network so far as I know to support natively and not charge.

Anyway I have a txt to write
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Old 27-03-2016, 22:43
Everything Goes
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Being able to send pictures without being charged 35p or more for a picture message, having not only free delivery reports but read reports as well, plus it much more seamless unlike email and without the spam. Text messages could have kept up. The introduction of Rich Communication Services (RCS) is too little too late. Vodafone support it but im not sure if any other network do.
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Old 28-03-2016, 00:15
nafanny29
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picture messages lol, the biggest ripoff still going!! They cost the network NOTHING to send yet want to charge 35-50p.
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Old 28-03-2016, 00:46
Aye Up
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Being able to send pictures without being charged 35p or more for a picture message, having not only free delivery reports but read reports as well, plus it much more seamless unlike email and without the spam. Text messages could have kept up. The introduction of Rich Communication Services (RCS) is too little too late. Vodafone support it but im not sure if any other network do.
Its interesting you should mention that, I believe it was Jabba or Think Wonk who said it would be added when VoLTE was launched. Most networks have signed up to it I believe, its just a case of when. I used it for the first time the other day and was suprised how well it worked, seeing my other half update in real time on sms felt a bit weird mind you!
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Old 28-03-2016, 08:44
prking
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Well I use multiple messaging apps, browse the net, watch YouTube videos, check Facebook, flip board, check the weather, check Instagram and my battery lasts a day and a half on a single charge.
Yes, all these messaging apps have messages pushed to them so use very little background power (and data).

And of course receiving texts requires that SMS app is running all the time as well. I disagree with Thine Wonk.

The biggest draw on battery power is screen on time and being in a poor signal area.
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Old 28-03-2016, 09:06
Randomguy1
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The thing with these apps they all use data and surely unless you're sending a video or picture you're best to use text messaging if you have unlimited texts? I switched off iMessage because of that and only use it if I need to send a picture.
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Old 28-03-2016, 09:33
Anika Hanson
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The thing with these apps they all use data and surely unless you're sending a video or picture you're best to use text messaging if you have unlimited texts? I switched off iMessage because of that and only use it if I need to send a picture.
A video or a picture will be sent as an MMS, which is not free. I have unlimited texts but if I send a video or picture to someone without an iPhone it will send as an MMS and I get charged.

So if the person has an iPhone I send photos/videos via iMessage. If they don't I send them via what's app. I have 8GB of 4G data per month and unlimited broadband at home so I'm not worried about using data to send items.
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Old 28-03-2016, 09:59
de525ma
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Your detective skills proved correct. Vodafone is the only network so far as I know to support natively and not charge.

Anyway I have a txt to write
EE and 3 support delivery reports natively. Free on EE, small charge on 3.
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Old 28-03-2016, 12:44
rasseru16
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picture messages lol, the biggest ripoff still going!! They cost the network NOTHING to send yet want to charge 35-50p.
Agreed! The mobile networks in France bundle in Unlimited MMS with their pay as you go sim cards from just €10 top-up

http://s23.postimg.org/3ph3to6nf/Orange_Fr.jpg
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Old 28-03-2016, 14:20
david16
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The thing with these apps they all use data and surely unless you're sending a video or picture you're best to use text messaging if you have unlimited texts? I switched off iMessage because of that and only use it if I need to send a picture.
Indeed it does. There’s no guarantee it will only cost a few pennies using whatsapp, facebook and the like as a replacement for traditional mobile messaging. When talking about non picture or video messaging via facebook or whatsapp etc that is, if and when you have run out of your monthly data allowance unless you have an unlimited data allowance.

Virgin mobile PAYG is 1.00 per day for up to 100MB then 1.00 for up to 100MB once you have run out of your 1GB or 3GB of data (and you only get the 1GB or 3GB for this month if you have topped up 10.00 or 15.00 before the end of the previous month).

Tesco mobile PAYG charge 10p per MB out of bundle.

The charging for mobile MMS messaging is an extortion.

But it is wrong to think you are saving money completely by using whatsapp and facebook for all messaging.
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Old 28-03-2016, 14:44
Mark C
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Indeed it does. There’s no guarantee it will only cost a few pennies using whatsapp, facebook and the like as a replacement for traditional mobile messaging. When talking about non picture or video messaging via facebook or whatsapp etc that is, if and when you have run out of your monthly data allowance unless you have an unlimited data allowance.

Virgin mobile PAYG is 1.00 per day for up to 100MB then 1.00 for up to 100MB once you have run out of your 1GB or 3GB of data (and you only get the 1GB or 3GB for this month if you have topped up 10.00 or 15.00 before the end of the previous month).

Tesco mobile PAYG charge 10p per MB out of bundle.

The charging for mobile MMS messaging is an extortion.

But it is wrong to think you are saving money completely by using whatsapp and facebook for all messaging.
Though you can set the parameters of the app only to use WiFi for pictures and videos.

As I've said, if you're messaging someone internationally, then you could end up spending hundreds if not thousands of quid using SMS, that's where Whatsapp's advantages kick in.
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Old 28-03-2016, 14:54
david16
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Some of us have never used it and some never will. Whatever it is.

Have to admit though, I seem to have used over 100MB of my 500MB mobile data allowance this month, no idea how that happened!
You would be best to revert back to mobile SMS messaging to send non video or picture messages if you run out of your data allowance before the end of the 30 days.
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Old 28-03-2016, 14:57
InfamousTeal
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EE and 3 support delivery reports natively. Free on EE, small charge on 3.
Small charge, yes, 1p per text. However, back when I had an android on Three and still used SMS, I would send about 400 texts a month, meaning an extra £4 per month onto my bill! So had them off.
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Old 28-03-2016, 15:12
Mark C
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Small charge, yes, 1p per text. However, back when I had an android on Three and still used SMS, I would send about 400 texts a month, meaning an extra £4 per month onto my bill! So had them off.
Yes, I got caught out by Three's SMS delivery charge. I'd had a Three account for a couple of days, and couldn't understand (until I rung them) why I was having 'out of allowance' charges of a few pence every day.
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Old 28-03-2016, 15:14
david16
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Though you can set the parameters of the app only to use WiFi for pictures and videos.

As I've said, if you're messaging someone internationally, then you could end up spending hundreds if not thousands of quid using SMS, that's where Whatsapp's advantages kick in.
Yes, but if you have to suddenly go somewhere due to an emergency and there’s no access to wifi anywhere around you, you are having to use up a fair amount of mobile data up to use whatsapp and facebook for your messaging.

So standard SMS can cost as low as 2p per text with some mobile operators, and if there’s no need to send picture or videos you may as well use SMS rather than facebook or whatsapp if you have run out of mobile data and have no wifi access, and your texts cost 2p to 5p each it’s better to send an SMS than use 25MB of mobile data. In fact, coming to think about it you can send a few SMS’s for free as you usually get a few hundred or a few thousand inclusive SMS among your monthly allowance of data, texts and minutes on a contract or after purchasing a bundle on PAYG. You’re likely to have used none of your SMS’s during the month if you have been using whatsapp or facebook for messaging throughout the 30 day period until you have run out of data and you suddenly have no wifi access.

Virgin mobile PAYG give you 3000 texts free for the whole of next month if you top up 10.00 by the end of this one and you have selected Big Data and Texts.
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Old 28-03-2016, 15:29
Mark C
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Yes, but if you have to suddenly go somewhere due to an emergency and there’s no access to wifi, you are having to use up a fair amount of mobile data up to use whatsapp and facebook for your messaging.

So tandard SMS can cost as low as 2p per text with some mobile operators, and if there’s no need to send picture or videos you may as well use SMS rather than facebook or whatsapp if you have run out of mobile data and have no wifi access, and your texts cost 2p to 5p each it’s better to send an SMS than use 25MB of mobile data. In fact, coming to think about it you can send a few SMS’s for free as you usually get a few hundred or a few thousand inclusive SMS among your monthly allowance of data, texts and minutes on a contract or after purchasing a bundle on PAYG.
What do you keep failing to understand when I talk about INTERNATIONAL use ?

Secondly, I've been using Whatsapp on my phone for 30 months, total data usage
is 370 Megs (out of a total on the phone of 12 Gigs) that's 32,556 messages BTW

in any Emergency situation, I'd use a voice call, or SMS, or simply wouldn't care about the cost

Edit: Usage period corrected from 18 to 30 months
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Old 28-03-2016, 15:33
david16
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What do you keep failing to understand when I talk about INTERNATIONAL use ?

Secondly, I've been using Whatsapp on my phone for 18 months, total data usage
is 370 Megs (out of a total on the phone of 12 Gigs) that's 32,556 messages BTW

in any Emergency situation, I'd use a voice call, or SMS, or simply wouldn't care about the cost
Sure, I agree with you.

But not everybody’s in the same boat. What’s works out cheaper for you financially may not be possible for everybody.

BTW, the post I quoted you, you weren’t talking about sending SMS’s vs Whatsapp/Facebook abroad for sending messages. Only about turning on wifi when run out of data and need to send non picture and video messages on whatsapp/facebook vs SMS’s.

As I said it’s very often cheaper sending SMS’s instead of using whatsapp/facebook to send the same messages domestically in the uk to a fellow person in the uk with a mobile, particularly if you have no access to wifi and you have run out of mobile data. That is a fact.
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Old 28-03-2016, 17:28
ney
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You're probably not on O2 either, unless you don't mind typing *0# in front of every SMS !
I been typing *0# in front of every SMS I send for over 2 years now. So I know when a text has been delivered.

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Old 29-03-2016, 11:32
pugamo
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I like whatsapp but you can find yourself living one long ongoing conversation until the end of time and chatting to people much more than you normally would.
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Old 29-03-2016, 11:48
LostFool
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Call me an old git but I've never used WhatsApp or know anyone who does.

The only messengering service I do use occasionally is Facebook Messenger which can be handy for arranging group events but texting is still the universal method which works for everyone.
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Old 29-03-2016, 16:49
Mark C
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Call me an old git but I've never used WhatsApp or know anyone who does.
I didn't think I knew anybody else who used it too, until I installed it, and discovered
300 out of my 450 contacts were already using it
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