Apple just announced a slew of new features for iOS , including video, audio, and location tagging for iMessage and the ability to name (and leave!) group chats. WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum isn't too happy about the new additions:
His point is that Apple just added features for iMessage that WhatsApp users have had for a long time. WhatsApp users could always record media, like audio or video, and share location data easily through messages.Â
The fact that Apple has put a huge emphasis on improving iMessage is very telling of the growing power of messaging apps like WhatsApp â€" which Facebook bought earlier this year for $19 billion â€" Snapchat, Facebook Messenger, Line, and Kik.
WhatsApp currently has more than 500 million users; Facebook's Messenger app has more than 200 million monthly users; Snapchat has around 70 million [1] monthly users. It makes sense that Apple would want to integrate features from those popular apps into its own in-house messaging system.Â
After all, Apple wants all iPhone owners to use iMessage, instead of downloading and using other apps.
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