In the last few weeks we’ve spoken a lot about instant messaging apps: the launch of Telegram, Facebook’s buyout of WhatsApp… These tools have become an essential part of our daily lives. To the extent that receiving an SMS that isn’t advertising has become something to talk about!
That’s why having spoken about WhatsApp and Telegram, it’s time to mention Line. This was the app that made a great impact around the end of 2012, but since then it doesn’t appear to have kept up the momentum. There are currently more than 360 million users, and that figure rises whenever the WhatsApp service is down.
We really liked the design of Line and its voice messages. Its stickers (there’s a store where you can buy more and which brings in monthly sales of over ten million dollars) stood out above all.
We were used to the plain emoticons of WhatsApp and suddenly, Line practically made it possible for us to communicate with graphics.
New features in LINE
A few days ago we found out that, from now on, users will be able to sell their own stickers. To do this all they have to do is upload their stickers to LINE Creator Market. There they will be evaluated and then offered to all other LINE users. And the best thing? That 50% of the sales will go to the creators themselves. This feature is due to be available sometime around March or April this year.
They have also announced that it will be possible to make national and international calls to landlines and cell phones.
What do you think? Will these new features be enough to displace WhatsApp? Is LINE the second placed app or has Telegram’s security helped it to knock Line down into third place?
There’s a lot to talk about!