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Kik, the guys who were working on an especially promising music application for BlackBerry, have switched gears and launched something called Kik Chat for iPhone and BlackBerry. On its own, it’s a pretty simple messaging service that lets you send free messages back and forth, regardless of platform, but the real convenience is that you can send outbound SMS messages using the app for less than a penny per text, and even then, the first 50 Kik to non-Kik messages per month are free. This could potentially be handy for frequent, long-distance texting when either end doesn’t have an iPhone or a BlackBerry (since if both sides have a smartphone, they might as well be using GTalk or the like).
It’s a modest start, but Kik promises that this will be thek foundation for sharing music, pictures and video. The music bit I get, but an instant messaging/media sharing app is a far cry from the music store we had seen from these guys earlier. The developer has confirmed that the streaming music app is still in the works and that it will be out there for Q2, no doubt with a heavy tie-in with Kik Chat.
After the 50 free messages, you can buy more: 100 texts for $0.99, 500 for $2.99, and 1000 for $4.99. For a closer look, hit up kik.com, or hit up the download links below.
– Download Kik for BlackBerry (Free) [App World Link]
– Download Kik for iPhone (Free) [iTunes Link]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
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