The absence of decent IM client for Windows Phone sticks out like a sore thumb. Obviously, dismayed users have no other option but to download dedicated app for each service. It is definitely not a practical approach and dedicated apps hog up too much space. Although, in-built messenger helps in easing up the pain little bit but most of time it leaves user in agony to crave for more instant messaging service support.
In a pursuit to find best all in one instant messenger for Windows Phone users, we dug whole marketplace. Below list will give you apercu of the situation why the lack of apps is a glaring issue for WP7 platform. In case if you still want to download dedicated app then you can try,
- Fim- Facebook messenger
- jiTalk Gtalk Client
- Gchat Google talk client
Instant Messenger for Windows Phone
Below list contains only all-in-one instant messenger apps for WP7. Next iteration of this post will contain more IM clients from marketplace including kik messenger, I’m a WP7! and more.
IM+:
IM+ was probably the first ever true instant messenger app on Windows Phone. The biggest perk of the app is its intuitive design and support for major messenger service. It supports Skype, Facebook, Gtalk, AIM/iChat, ICQ, MySpace, Jabber, Yahoo!, Vkontakte, Yandex IM, Odnoklassniki.ru, RenRen and Mail.ru. Besides all the above messaging service it has introduced Beep—free mobile-to-mobile in app messenger. Windows Phone users can keep in touch with the friends on different OS like iOS, Android and BlackBerry. Support for push notification, text message and photo sharing comes in very for all the users. The image sharing service is little janky but it still serves the purpose.
IM+ app is available with both free and paid option. Paid version will cost you $4.99 which is somewhat on higher side.
Download IM+ (free version)
Palringo:
Although tagged as a public beta version, Palringo is more than a decent IM client. It is available on major mobile platform and Mac as well as PC. Create your own group and chat with like minded people or join over 320,000 available groups. It also supports push notification, vibration alert for better notification. Users can share voice, text and photo messages to groups and friends.
Palringo supports AIM, Facebook, GG (Gadu-Gadu), Gtalk, iChat, ICQ, MSN, Jabber/ XMPP and Yahoo! Messenger. Users can also update their STATUS on different service. The best part is that it is available for free from the marketplace.
QissChat:
QissChat is a cross platform, multi-language instant messenger that support heaps of service. Much like Palringo it lets you create group and share images, files and text messages to like-minded people. However, the UI seems clumsy and it presents few inroad to the users. Probably, it needs more polishing before counting it as a real alternative of IM+ or Palringo. Nevertheless, QissChat has most of the features user would like to see in an untarnished IM client.
Major messenger services like Skype, ICQ, Facebook, AIM, Vkontakte, mailAgent, Jabber, gtalk are supported by it. In application push notification and toast notification is also supported by this app.
Comparing all the above instant messenger is like deciding which is right and which is left in a pair of socks. Almost all of them supports push notification, multi-messenger support and image sharing option.
Which is your favorite IM client on Windows Phone?
