IM app

[golder]

Why don't UK Heros have the IM app built in the phone? From the few US Android phones I've seen, all of them have the IM app which integrates GTalk, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger etc. natively. How come my phone doesn't have it? Why isn't it on the android marketplace? Why do I have to resort to meebo or ebuddy?

I ask because running third party apps like meebo or ebuddy takes up battery life whereas (im assuming here) the IM app is integrated into the phone O.S. and your status is set to online all the time with minimal battery drainage (like the native Google Talk app that I have on my phone).

 

[The_Gnome_]

I'm in Canada - our Hero has no such app by default, just the Google Talk app.

 

[daveybaby]

I ask because running third party apps like meebo or ebuddy takes up battery life whereas (im assuming here) the IM app is integrated into the phone O.S. and your status is set to online all the time with minimal battery drainage (like the native Google Talk app that I have on my phone).

3rd party apps arent inherently going to eat any more battery life than ones shipped with the OS. Theyre doing the same job, they have to do the same things (run the screen, access internet for the same amount of time, process the same amount of data etc). And the ones that ship with the OS are just apps running on top of the OS same as anything else.

Of course, a badly programmed app might eat tons of battery, but i think with the popular ones this sort of thing gets ironed out pretty quickly.

 

[ticho]

I suspect that the bundled IM app you mention is carrier-specific. My stock Hero (the one with chin) doesn't have any such thing, it only came with gtalk app. I'm using ICQLive and Jabbroid for my IM needs (oh, and occassionally AndChat for IRC).

 

[nomnompie]

Same here, I got an unlocked Telus Hero from Canada and all it has is GTalk. I use the AIM app in the market for AIM (the official one) and Nimbuzz for Skype.

I know AT&T phones usually have a built in service like the one you listed, so I think it is carrier specific, part of the so called "bloat-ware" lol.

 

[tuahogary]

Why don't UK Heros have the IM app built in the phone? From the few US Android phones I've seen, all of them have the IM app which integrates GTalk, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger etc. natively. How come my phone doesn't have it? Why isn't it on the android marketplace? Why do I have to resort to meebo or ebuddy?

Im using a Hero and I can see in Android Market an official Windows Live IM app by MSN and a YM app which is surprising built by MSN too. Here's the link if you need it: MSN Droid for Android - Communication

As daveybaby said, I agree that all apps that provide similar functions uses the battery and cpu similarly regardless of whether the manufacturer decides to preinstall them or not