Hottest Now - Facebook’s WhatsApp Vs Google’s Allo. Can Allo survive the competition? Will WhatsApp lose its spotlight? Is Allo worth our time? Who's going to win the Game?
WhatsApp Vs Allo
Facebook recently acquired WhatsApp, which is now the undisputed leader of virtual chat communications. Google has joined the race with its latest smart instant messaging app Allo, as a tougher competition for Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Viber & BBM. Outwardly, Allo is just another messaging app (both Android & IOS versions available) to chat with friends, share pictures, videos, and use sticker packs for spiced up conversations. But it is not just that.Allo Pros
To stand firm and excel in the market, additional features need to be bundled with the basic functionalities. Let us now analyze Allo, Google’s latest app and see how it fares.Smart Assistant:
WhatsApp helps send files or share your location with your friend. But answering questions, it cannot. Allo lets you do Offline messaging with your Smart Assistant, either in a private conversation or by summoning it by typing @google followed by a specific question. Assistant provides you with all required details, accompanied by available, relevant pictures. Cool!Smart Searches:
To share a file(say a music file), WhatsApp requires closing the app or running it in the background. With Google Allo, you can simply type @google "the particular song" in the middle of a chat. This retrieves the particular song's link to be shared with your friend. Easy!Smart Reply:
Allo is designed to provide automatic responses to chats, on your behalf, using machine-learning technology. The responses may seem impersonal at first but it builds up with increased usage of the app. Wow!Selective Encryption:
The end-to-end encryption of messages is enabled selectively in Allo. Setting the Incognito option and Expiration period(Self-Destruction Timer) enables encryption. Chat history disappears right after the chat gets over, depending on the Expiration period set. Oho!Smart Recognition:
Allo has an inbuilt Picture recognition feature. This enables the app to recognise the received picture and suggest automatic responses. The user can choose the best applicable response and send it across. Super!Smart Features:
Allo lets you share GIFs freely unlike WhatsApp. WhatsApp does not allow advanced features like formatting the chat text or customising the picture messages. Whereas Allo allows both(Whisper/Shout feature) and further provides a wider range of sticker collection.Whisper/Shout - This feature of Google's new messaging app helps users understood in different contexts. It allows the users to shrink or embiggen a word in order to better convey the tone. A "whisper" could be used to slip in snide comments or jokes, or subtle disagreements. A "shout" could easily highlight a shout/surprise/amazement/rage or more.
Allo Cons
No SMS messages:
You can send Allo messages to your friend even if they don’t have the app installed. The recipient can receive the text(only text) SMS message from a 5-digit number. The conversation can be carried on through that relay number, with you seeing the messages in Allo and your friend seeing them in their Text message app. Yet only some contacts are eligible to have full conversations while others are limited to simple invites. What's the basis? No idea about that!Transient Storage Controversy:
The controversy stems from a news in The Verge(May 2016 edition), collected from an Allo developer in the Google’s Communications division. It states that any chat sent on Allo would be transiently stored on Google servers (ie) chat logs would vanish by default from servers after a short time. But the Allo version that has now rolled out, stores all the non-incognito chat messages indefinitely on Google’s servers by default. Why this kolaveri? No privacy by default?Google is trying to take baby steps into Internet communication and social platforms, where currently Facebook is bossing. We will just have to wait and watch what Google can accomplish here.
Other Cons:
- Supports only English for now
- No Windows app yet
- No voice calling
- No chat backup option
- Cant share documents
- No last seen or online status