Chat app for feature, smartphone users

Hyderabad: With all the app-makers targeting only smartphone owners, feature phone users are mostly left fuming. Addressing this gap, Mxit, a South Africa-based mobile social network, has launched its chat app for both feature phone as well as smartphone users.

The app was launched for the Indian market by cricketer Gary Kirsten.

Given that India’s mobile phone market is still dominated by feature phones despite the meteoric rise of smartphones, Mxit has an advantage because we want to target both the segments, said Sam Rufus Nallraj, CEO, Mxit India, after the national launch of the app here on Tuesday.

“The shift in trend from feature phone to smartphone market doesn’t worry us because we cater to both the segments,” added Rufus.

The company has a tie-up with Finnish handset maker Nokia in South Africa and plans to continue its relationship with the latter in India as well. “In South Africa, even two in three mobile phone users communicate using Mxit.

We have partnered with Nokia there and we are in talks with the company for the Indian market too,” Roger Grobler, chairman, Mxit, South Africa and India, told this correspondent.

Moreover, the company is also exploring ties with other handset makers like Samsung and also domestic manufacturer Micromax, Gobler added.

The app which is currently available in English and Hindi  will be offered in 10 Indian languages including Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam and others within 6 months.

It is available on Android, Apple’s iOS  and Windows platforms and also on any feature phone that supports the basic 2G internet data package.