WhatsApp hit a major milestone yesterday with the company reporting a user base of over one billion. Just over a year ago, WhatsApp celebrated it's half-billion milestone so it seems the app has defied being the centre of an encryption debate, to see its user numbers soar regardless.

Not only has the company hit a target that means 1/7th of the world's entire population is using it, but it also recently announced it was going completely free, ditching its micro-subscription annual charge in the process.

In a recent blog post, WhatsApp revealed that it intends to keep focus on the core value of the business.

"WhatsApp began as a simple idea: ensuring that anyone could stay in touch with family and friends anywhere on the planet, without costs or gimmicks standing in the way."

Credit: http://www.techradar.com/us/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/1-in-7-people-in-the-world-now-use-whatsapp-1314186

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I'm a fan of WhatsApp just for:
1. the convenience of not having to rack up data charges when travelling, using it over WiFi
2. not locked in to a particular service.
3. BBM works the same WhatsApp but honestly, it's made for blackberry and the experience on non BB devices is not the same.

just wished some telecommunications company in Nigeria can just be like WhatsApp as in free,,,,but reverse is d case in pur country,, we still have to pay to use WhatsApp at least it ought to be like 25naira for a month,,,,, after all its now free.

leksbore:
just wished some telecommunications company in Nigeria can just be like WhatsApp as in free,,,,but reverse is d case in pur country,, we still have to pay to use WhatsApp at least it ought to be like 25naira for a month,,,,, after all its now free.

Yeah, that sucks. WhatsApp is dropping their yearly fee and will be free for everyone soon, so hopefully it reflects on the telecom companies also. But chances are these companies won't drop their fees.

NaijA COMPANIES wont drop their fees oo

Fact!

my grandmum is even on whatsapp. I believe it

Hello there, WhatsApp is using me

I use telegraph

What should I do now? ...maybe announce to the other 6 to subscribe.

Help runs girls a lot.

I know

WhatsApp is cool. 1 in 7 in the whole world.... Wow

handwork of Zuckgaberg sha. dat man is jus blessed

Provided there's no hidden conspiracy behind it, that's a model business success worth studying, emulating and replicating.

What's tha business?

WhatsApp best innovation to communicating in d 21st century

Yea ....

Nice.

WaleyFem:
I use telegraph

same here. If whatsapp could just share any file file like apk, zip etc... Raymy

WaleyFem:
I use telegraph

Telegram?

That's awesome

What were we using before whatsapp cos I can't even remember..
I doff me hat for the brains behind such genius. Bdw, does 2go still exist?
Seems like it's d biafrans dat still use it

Cool

Exaggerated and bogus statistics

idonbelieveit does 1 in 7 even use phone? not to talk of whatsapp

I get it's now free. So how do they make money? Cuz I haven't seen any ad yet

Hmmmm

Wow!....

WaleyFem:
I use telegraph

I have telegram,whch one is telegraph?

Who counted those who use it and those who haven't been using it?

I luv dat

christejames:
What should I do now? ...maybe announce to the other 6 to subscribe.

Pa James! reason well na

Dawdy:
Who counted those who use it and those who haven't been using it?

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