There’s been some mess and uncertainty created by Android on their messaging service. No longer are they expected to have a standard messaging app like the iPhone has with iMessages, there was even talk down the grape-vine that they would be culling it all together.
Today, though, news has broken that instead of killing it off they will instead integrate Google Hangouts as their new messaging service for mobiles, phablets and tablets. Google Hangouts is part of the Google+ social media storm that the Mountain View company has tried to get off the ground to rival the likes of Facebook and Twitter for years now. It doesn’t look as though it has what it takes to reach those heights. However, something they are attempting to expand as their own original idea is the hangout, which allows users to do just that and have video hosting sessions in a social way. This is also an aspect of social media that the others don’t have.
Hangouts has been quite successful for many people, including the sporting genre where global organizations host their reporting sessions with a large-scale audience watching them. You can expect to see much more of this soon as the use expands to a greater reach.
Further details, such as when we can expect to see the Hangouts working is not yet known. That will probably take some time before it is announced. For now, though, Android users will want to get familiar with the Google Plus ecosystem if they aren’t already, because it seems that is the way the little green robot devices are heading.
May of 2013 saw an update to the app that included SMS and outbound call support fully integrated.