Nothing Chats
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Here at Nothing, we’re building a world where tech is fun again. Remember a time where every new product made you excited? We’re bringing that back.

“Nothing Chats, powered by Sunbird, allows you to directly message other phone users from your Nothing phone via blue bubbles.”

I don’t think this solves the problem, but it is a step in the right direction.

WhatsApp does not come pre-installed on most phones (for some reason it often isn’t included even with Facebook’s crapware). It is still the de facto chat app in India, Brazil and dozens of other Asian, South American and European countries.

Chahk
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21Y

As far as I know, SMS in India and Brazil is not free. This means that for majority of users switching to a data-based app is not so much as a choice, but a necessity. In the US texting via SMS has been free for several decades, so there’s no reason for people to look for an alternative.

SMS has been free in India since 2016. Though one could say WhatsApp had already become dominant by then, so it stuck.

Chahk
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11Y

Exactly. It has reached critical mass to a point where if you’re not on it, you’re basically not communicating.

Also, I remember that cross-carrier calling was an issue, which is why most people would need to use dual-SIM phones. Not sure if it’s the same for SMS.

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