 "Hike")
In a world where everyone is completely drowned in the world of smartphones and social networking, chat messengers are hot property. Almost every now and then we have a new mobile communication application in the chat market, trying to overthrow the biggies. These new chat apps are trying to grab maximum users by delivering something new and more user-friendly than the others. We look at LINE and Hike, two of the latest entrants into the mobile messaging space.
Let's start with the Indian mobile messenger, Hike. The instant messaging (IM) app allows users to communicate with other smartphone users who use this app as well as non-smartphone users via SMS.
Hike can be found across mobile phones - iPhone, Android, Windows Phone - and on various Nokia Asha full-touch devices. Hike's USP, obviously, is its ability to communicate with non-smartphone users, via SMS. But there is a limit to the number of messages one can send to non-Hikers - 100 free SMS a month. But Hike promotes itself and also entices users by giving 10 SMSes free for making one's friends join the app through requests via SMS, Facebook, Twitter and email. Also, it rewards users with 50 free SMS a month for each friend one invites to Hike. This free messaging facility is available only in India at present, but there has been talk about Hike trying to expand its base to other emerging markets.
The Hike to Hike communication via IM also has some value-added features such as group chat and photo and video sharing, with an upload size of up to 6MB for each file. The user-interface is neat and simple, and its blue and white colour scheme is appeasing. Downloading this app is also fairly simple and it smoothly integrates the entire existing phone contacts.
Hike's current version is similar to Facebook, with a page for updates and moods of the day for you and your friends, and uses a wide variety of smileys, along with emojis similar to Whatsapp and Facebook messenger. It also offers a couple of Desi smileys and a wide range of stickers, in sync with LINE and WeChat, which open instantly with a click. It allows voice recording like Whatsapp and ChatOn.
The app turns sluggish on a slow internet connection. It doesn't allow multiple photo or video uploads like Whatsapp, nor does it allow video conversations. Messaging on Hike may be quick and free, but for a non-Hike user, replying would levy the normal Local or STD call.
Now for the other new kid on the block, LINE. Both the Android and iOS versions of LINE have recently been updated with minor bug fixes. Line comes with Windows PC and Mac version as well.
LINE offers users a neat and colourful user interface. It banks on its high quality free and unlimited voice calls globally, along with the traditional IM, which is accompanied by funny stickers and emojis that one might not find in WeChat and even in WhatsApp. Sadly, only a few stickers are free. Other features include photo and video sharing, location information, and a timeline to post statuses and comments for friends to see and also view their posts time to time. The More section gives access to some downloadable games, sticker shop, Line Tools, Add Friends and Line Camera. Further, LINE allows one to edit their user profile, and change display picture like WhatsApp. It also integrates the cover photo concept borrowed from Facebook. Also, it brings along a Shake it feature, which will showcase the other users shaking their phone, nearby.
The area where LINE needs to work on might be the quality of voice calls, which depends a lot on the connectivity speed. It doesn't provide video calling like Skype. It takes a little time to get familiar with all the features it offers unlike Hike. It could give more free stickers and games, as this is an important USP for the app where it can take on the other chat giants. Overall, the experience of using LINE is fun and exciting if you are ready to shed your loyalty towards WhatsApp and WeChat.
