Numbers from research group Informa show that for the first time, messages sent via chat-apps has overtaken SMS messages.
The figures show that in 2012, almost 19 billion messages were sent via chat apps, whilst only 17.6 billion texts were sent. Whilst Informa claims that there’s still a lot of life in texting, it is predicted that by 2014 chat apps will process nearly 50 billion messages a day, whilst only 21 billion text messages will be sent a day.
Because the majority of chat app users are smartphone owners, the number of chat app users is increasing along with the smartphone market, however the majority of customers still don’t have the kind of data plans that make messaging via chat apps a viable alternative to texting, and so whilst the margin will continue to widen, text messages will still remain a key part of the mobile user experience.
What about you? Do you prefer chat apps or SMS? Why do you use one over the other? Or, like me, why do you use both?
