iMessage is one of the messenger service develop by Apple. iMessage is a service that allows users to send texts, documents, photos, videos, contacts, and group messages over Wi-Fi, 3G to other iOS or OS X users. And it providing an alternative to standard SMS/MMS messaging for most users with devices running iOS 5.
History of iMessage
On June 6, 2011 at the WWDC 2011 keynote, iMessage was founded by Scott Forstall. Apple announced on February 16, 2012 that that a new OS X Messages application with support for iMessage, replacing iChat. On November 12, 2012, Chetan Sharma, a technology consulting firm published the US Mobile Data Market Update Q3 2012, noting the decline of text messaging in the United States, and suggested the decline may be attributed to Americans using alternative free messaging services such as iMessage.
Support Operating System
Like other mobile operating systems the iOS SMS messages support transmission of optional and advanced features in the header section of text messages. Including a “reply to” address. Most of the wireless carriers not provide verification checks on these header specifications.
While sending text messages via iMessage, the app will first identify the recipient of the message prior to sending, then automatically send the messages via iMessage and if the recipients device uses iOS 5 or via the senders regular text messaging service if the recipient doesn’t have an iOS 5-powered device.
Features
The features are very straightforward. We can send unlimited free text messages from any iOS device to any iOS device over Wi-Fi or 3G and you can also send movies, pictures, etc.
iMessage is very much like as MMS, it not only allows the user to send plain text, but also allows the user to send pictures, locations, movies, and contacts. iMessage also provide a feature to users to set up chats with more than two people , such as group chat.
Users can easily know that how messages sent via iMessage, as message replies appear in a blue-shaded bubble as opposed to the Messages app’s standard green-colored bubble.
iMessage Competitors
Samsung’s ChatON is competitor of iMessage and it released on the App Store for iOS. ChatOn provide better service than Apple’s iMessage. The ChatON app is a multi-platform messaging service that allows iPhone users to chat for free with Android and other smartphone users. Like iMessage, ChatON works on its own network so it is not restricted to mobile connectivity. We can get chat, group chat, broadcast and whiteboard-type features.
Specification
iMessage service required a set of standard objects which must exist in every device, on which operations like read, write and event signaling etc. Virtual manufacturing device is the main object and all other objects like variables, domains, journals, files etc. And a set of standard messages exchanged between a client and a server device for monitoring and controlling these objects. Set of encoding rules for mapping these messages to bits and bytes when transmitted.
iMessage Vs BBM
BlackBerry’s Messenger(BBM) is the latest messaging app. But BlackBerry’s become of hope better than iMessage for business users or not. Although similar in function, BBM and iMessage each benefit users in different ways.
Although BBM and iMessage offer similar functionalities that what sets them apart are their security features. BlackBerry, which is trusted by governments, lives up to its name of having the best-in-class security by making BBM the most secure mobile messaging app yet. Messages sent via iMessage have end-to-end. However, Apple has recently come under fire after security experts claimed they have proof that Apple and the NSA can read messages sent via iMessage.
iMessage Vs WhatsApp
Two things that WhatsApp does better is the way you hide the keyboard, that tapping the chat seems much easier and tidier than flicking the keyboard down in iMessage and having to scroll back to the end of the chat. And also, it’s annoying how there’s a bit of a delay between sending messages on iMessage. And it’s less than a second but on WhatsApp you don’t have to wait for the message to float up to chat so you can start typing the next message.
I hope Apple addresses these two issues. As like they haven’t put much effort into the UI. Same old Messages app but now you can hide the keyboard and not have to go out of the chat and back in to hide.
Cons and Pros
The cons of the iMessage are that they are only iOS compatible and that they are suitable for text and pictures only.
The pros of iMessage are that they can work on iPad and that they always deliver. If the message does not succeed delivering as an IM, it defaults into SMS after 300 seconds.
Why iMessage been Failed
iMessage service has suffered from some occasional outages that including a minor one documented on the company’s System Status page earlier today and some users have been complaining of multi-day outages on their devices that suggesting that something more than a simple service problem may be occurring. Since the release of iOS 7, a number of users have been complaining about issues with iMessages failing to be sent or received from their iOS devices.