> That's interesting. SMS wholesale prices in my part of the world (Western Europe) are still at around $0.07.
Isn't it rather they was it is supposed to be? - "Everybody" uses messengers for communication. SMS has lost that battle. Whoever uses SMS does so due to a need.
In the US, pretty much everyone I know uses SMS/iMessage (in addition to the use of SMS for verification, appointment reminders, etc.) The main exception is Google Chat at work because we use GSuite. Sometimes Twitter DM if I don't have someone's email handy. But I have a total of 1 friend in Europe who I use Facebook Messenger with.
I've known about this for awhile now but having only lived in countries where absolutely everyone uses a messaging app (particular app differing per country) it still baffles me every single time I hear about it.
How do you handle group chats? Especially with more than a couple of people? Is sending pictures and videos included with your plans too? If not how do you handle those? How about video calling? Sending a file e.g. an Excel file?
Let alone features like easily creating a vote/poll, a calendar event, a banner notification..
I get that most of these features may not be useful to everyone but surely they are to groups of teens and college students, demographics that have shown to often drive growth in communication apps.
We'll sometimes do SMS group chats with a small number of people. For videos, other files, scheduling video calls, etc. we mostly just use email. For video calling, we use Zoom, Google Meet, etc. I'm not sure I've ever seen someone doing a poll outside of Twitter.
No, many of my peers (30somethings in midwestern US) default to SMS. The only platforms you can guarantee everyone in a group can be expected to have are email, SMS, or phone calls, so for informal social stuff we end up in a text message thread.
You can explain to your friends that group text messages are horrible, and there are far better ways of having daily conversations with separate threads.
Nearly all of my 40 something friends from the Midwest have both telegram and discord, however telegram is primarily used as its just better on mobile. We have groups for all kinds of topics, cars, garden, tv, movies, sports, politics (ewww), etc. If you aren't interested in lawncare simply leave or mute the group in remain in touch via other mutual groups. The only guy not in the group is someone who still prefers phone calls.
I've yet to not be able to convince someone that separate threads/groups is way better than a bulk text group.
That's interesting. Where I live I have unlimited text messages and minutes for €5/month. So whenever I want to text someone, I just use SMS - I don't have to think if they use Whatsapp, Messenger or something else. (Apple hijacks them but is doing so more or less transparently, so I don't mind.)
Isn't it rather they was it is supposed to be? - "Everybody" uses messengers for communication. SMS has lost that battle. Whoever uses SMS does so due to a need.