WhatsApp block about to stop older iPhones and Android handsets working with popular chat app Yes WhatsApp can do this as it is a proprietary app which is not based on any open standards. If it were based on an open standard messaging protocol then alternative apps could have kept the service running on older phones. So this means that essentially cannot replace replace SMS text messages (they run across all old and new phones). The phones affected: Anyone using Android 2.1 or 2.2, an iPhone 3GS or iOS 6 will find the app has stopped working. The same will happen to anyone on Windows Phone 7. The company has advised that anyone with one of those older handsets who want to keep chatting with friends simply buy a newer phone. And you may think this won't affect many people in reality. Well in 3rd world countries the "haves" employ the "have nots" and they need to communicate with each other for employment. If you want to replace voice and SMS then you need to integrate some backward compatibility, even if these chats are flagged as "insecure". The poorer users are not on cellular contracts and cannot just go out and replace their phones, until someone donates one to them. It just highlights again to me why we need an open messaging protocol that multiple vendors can support. See http://ift.tt/2iT9lr4
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