Okay Geek Farm
App Review - Beluga (iPhone)
Connor Scalleat
We’ve mess around with Kik, which was another iPhone attempt at a BBM style service, and now we’re going to try Beluga. It’s another wannabe “texting killer”with some pretty unique features that we haven’t seen done before.
Beluga
App type: Social Networking
Price: Free
Compatible: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad - iOS 3.1 or later required
Developer: Beluga Inc.
Beluga is a messaging application which completely changes the way we think about mobile communication. Beluga uses a slick interface and allows you to communicate with people via Beluga, an internet connection, or SMS. Once you start a conversation, or a “Pod”, you can add up to as many people as you want either through their Beluga account or their SMS number.
Once in the Pod, you can access the map, which only works for Beluga to Beluga members. The map allows you to see where the other person is everytime they send you a message. Don’t worry though, you don’t have to send your location everytime, there is an option to toggle this feature.
Pods are completely customizable with the ability to edit the name, picture, meeting times, locations, and even alerts. Essentially pods are conversations which can be titled, and then even that title can be edited at anytime, as well as adding photos so that everything is organized. Beluga is really based around going out so you can set a time and meeting location, if for instance you want to go to the movies with a group of friends. These features are only for Beluga to Beluga customers though. People communicating via SMS just get a threaded SMS conversation.
Pods can be accessed on your computer too! Accessing pods over the internet is an awesome feature but it’s execution is completely horrible. They only provide you with the ability to message, and they can’t even seem to get that working correctly. This is a very small feature that they do not emphasize all too much, but in future updates I think it can evolve to something great.
Overall
Beluga is really an outstanding service and could definitely be viewed as a text message killer in my opinion. The service is really unique and adds many features that current text messaging apps on the iPhone haven’t done yet. In a previous review, I that stated that Kik needs to really make itself different from texting by building upon its own features, and that is exactly what Beluga has done.
Multimedia enriched messages, the ability to send pictures, get an instant response, have multiple people in a pod, and even share your location, is outstanding. Once Beluga establishes their userbase and really starts releasing some major updates I can only imagine where this service will go.
Update: Beluga has announced that a Blackberry application will be released shortly!
Download Beluga on iTunes now
Available on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
