Samsung ChatOn Looks to Conquer Instant Messaging on Smartphones

Samsung is not letting the smartphone war subside. Samsung has brought a cross-platform chat messaging app to Android and promises to have it on iOS, Web and BlackBerry soon. The new instant messaging platform by Samsung will have to fight for the market with iMessage for Apple and BlackBerry’s BBM.

The ChatOn app is available through Samsung App Store and the Android market and works on Samsung feature phones, Bada and Android. Users of the ChatOn app can have private conversations, group chats or share photos, videos, voice messages and contacts. The app is already visible in 120 countries through the 2 app stores and supports upto 62 different languages.

Samsung ChatOn is comes with 3 creative tabs allowing users to gain the most from their IM experience. These include:

• Buddies – create a list of contacts and even make your own favourites list. Buddies are sorted alphabetically and this tab comes with a search function, making it easier to find the contact you are looking to chat to. ChatOn also synchronises with your address book automatically – so all your existing contacts who are already registered on ChatOn are instantly available.
• Chat – the tab that allows you to check out all your open and most recent chats.
• My Page – is a tab that lets you create your own profile, including a profile picture and display name, with the ability to add a status. This tab also lets you insert key information such as your birthday.

ChatOn comes standard with an animated messaging service that allows you to create special animated messages for your friends. The IM service also has an interaction rank that informs you of how often you chat to which friend and with the ‘Buddies Say’ feature, you can leave a message on your friend’s profile page.

Samsung Supported features on ChatOn include:

•  1:1 Chat
• Group chat
• Broadcasts
• Animation messages
• Pictures, videos, audio, location information
• Contacts
• Calendar

The Android version is available through the Android Market and works on Android 2.2 and 2.3. The Samsung (bada, feature phone) version is available in the Samsung App Store (not available for all markets).