I’ve been a big fan, admirer and user of SMS for a long time.
So simple. So easy. So immediate.
It’s how I my affair with Twitter began. And I still send tweets via sms (although my favorite way to tweet is Twitter for iOS)
But increasingly I find myself using SMS less and less.
My biggest issue: it’s just not reliable. I’ve had problems on AT&T and with Google Voice. I’m not sure if this is problematic with other service providers or not. But randomly some of my texts don’t go through.
Also, I find the lack of features I want is limiting. But I always gave up features for simplicity and purpose. Thats why SMS has always been my favorite.
But three apps in particular are taking over my SMS needs these days.
They are: Kik, Beluga and Skype.
Kik is an iPhone and Android app. Its is so simple and fast. It’s wonderful. I love that I can see if people have read my messages and they can see when I read theirs. Very helpful. Most if not all of the CEOs I work with send me SMS messages for time sensitive issues. I would love it if they made the switch.
Beluga. I have three group (or pods) on Beluga right now that are pretty active. Family and friends. I can’t use it really for Spark yet because most of my partners use Blackberry there isn’t a Beluga app for Blackberry at this time. But I love having an always on group chat with my family.
I have been a late bloomer when it comes to Skype. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because I didn’t like the UI on the Mac. Or because in the past I didn’t make too many international calls. But all of that changed with the latest version of Skype for iPhone. It’s awesome. Video chat from iPhone to Macs is great. And text chatting with friends and colleagues on Skype is a breeze. And I like that I can respond on any device. (right now Kik requires you to sign in with only one device at a time).
My only hesitation getting the upcoming Verizon iPhone is the lack of worldwide roaming. But I’m now thinking that with Wifi being available in many places and Skype for iPhone I could manage. (or maybe the lack of connectivity sometimes is actually a good thing).
It’s a bit sad to see my attention slipping away from SMS. We’ve had so many great memories together.