[paganel]

> The real reason WhatsApp were worth so much is they started to look like an existential threat to Facebook.

I know it's anecdotal, but the thing that makes WhatsApp so great for me it's that "it just works". I have it installed on my iPhone 4, and compared to Facebook's app is hundreds of miles ahead. Until 6-months or so ago the FB app needed 2-3 or minutes to actually open and redirect me to the private messages window, after I had received a notification. In one case it took 5 minutes (or even more) for the messages I was writing in the FB app to reach the person I was talking to, making for a very awkward conversation. And forget about trying to send images. In the meantime they decided to force the use the Facebook Messenger app, which cannot be installed on my phone's OS. I'm probably supposed to buy a new, expensive phone, which I would have if apps like WhatsApp hadn't existed.

[k-mcgrady]

It sounds like your issue was a slow phone. Facebook's Messenger app works great for me. I also use Whatsapp daily but prefer the Facebook app. It's a much nicer experience.

[paganel]

Yeah, it's slow because it's "old" (3-year old). The thing is that it is slow only when trying to use the FB app, the browser, WhatsApp and GMaps all work pretty well.

[XorNot]

I'm indifferent. But when WhatsApp asks me for money, I suspect I'll just start using Facebook Messenger or Google Hangouts instead.

[boyaka]

I'm sure they get plenty of money from entities interested in monitoring communications.