Interesting idea. But what could they want? Google is said to be trying to hurt WP. Whether or not it's true, I can definitely see why they would. But Whatsapp? What's in it for them? Do they see Skype as competition?
If Whatsapp is trying to get something from Microsoft, my guess is that it has something to do with opening up WP APIs so they can make their app work properly. Why do virtually all messaging apps work better on iOS & Android than on WP? I don't think it's lazy developers. Even Skype is better on the other platforms.
Maybe whatsapp wants Nokia like access to APIs, in which case...give in to them Microsoft!!!
I really don't think WA want to **** MS that way, I think we are not enough users to be worth the trouble and the further cost of loose an ally like MS.
I can't wait for BBM to arrive to windows phone so I can get rid of this app completely.
There is little cost to loosing MS as an ally. Furthermore, since WhatsApp is branching out into video calling services, they are actually more competitors than allies, with both sides having much at stake. If WhatsApp wants concessions from MS, this is the perfect time to do it.
You may see it as uncivil, but this would only be the millionth time a company does something like that. I don't see why WhatsApp should be any different from the rest.
That may be true. But with the facebook merger impending, an anti-competitveness suit would be easy to raise
It probably won't work much better than Whatsapp.
Anything works much better than Whatsapp...
I don't think so. You can't sue a company over something they don't do. If WhatsApp doesn't want to offer their app on WP, temporarily or indefinitely, for any reason, that is their choice to make.
Anyway, this is just speculation on my behalf, so no point arguing over it. I just seems strange to me, which is why I brought it up.
WhatsApp has always been a flaky app (likely because they are trying to shoehorn an Android app onto WP, instead of developing a WP app the way it should be developed). I can think of a few occasions where WhatsApp had more serious issues than what I'm witnessing now, yet they didn't remove WhatsApp from the store then. My personal experience is that WhatsApp actually works better today than it has in the past. In fact, during the time it's been unavailable in the store, I've been using it every day without issue. Under such circumstances, pulling it from the store seems extreme to me. Considering that the issue is specific to GDR3, which has been out for quite some time, the timing also seems strange. Why now, precisely at the worst possible moment, when the first WP8.1 handsets are being released? Why didn't they pull it from the store months ago when GDR3 was released instead?
Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying this is what is actually happening. It just wouldn't surprise me it if was.
I am expecting Whatsapp to come with v500, or on 24th of June which is the official start of life cycle of wp 8.1.13 days and counting....