Best Instant Messaging Client?

Which instant messaging (IM) client is the best? I have seen this question asked so many times in the forums and being a heavy user of instant messaging on my phone I decided to do a review of all the IM clients that I know.  I am only going to review the ones that are free (Sorry IM+) and ones that do not use text messages (Sorry OZ). This review is mostly for AIM, Gtalk and Facebook since those are the ones that I use the most.  Here is a list of the ones that are included in this review: Beejive IM, Palringo, Nimbuzz, Talkonaut, Ebuddy and Fring. All IM clients are latest versions as of 8/25/09.

Beejive IM:

From website:

BeejiveIM for Windows Mobile 6 Professional & Standard Edition is in permanent beta. We will not be releasing a production version of BeejiveIM for Windows Mobile 6 and offer the software "as is".

 

 

 

 

 

Pros:

• Beejive probably has the best graphics out of all the clients
• Finger friendly when scrolling through contacts and when scrolling within a chat
• Allows for blocking and unblocking of contacts/buddies
• Can change change/set your status, go invisible, go away or busy.
• Displays buddy icons
• Can change IM sounds and notifications in the windows “Sounds and Notifications settings”
• Can log into all your accounts at once or you can log in to individual accounts.
• Supports emotions

Cons:

• Does not have file sharing or group chats or voice calling
• Not finger friendly when switching between chats
• Also had problems with service outage where their servers went down and it was not fixed for days.
• My keyboard does not work 99% of the time when I have this application open I don’t know why but it seems like a isolated incident. I don’t know anyone else that is having this problem so it just might be my phone.  This is the only reason I don’t use the app as much as I would have liked
• Average battery usage
  

  Supports:

  AIM, IBM Sametime, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, Windows live/ MSN, MySpace IM, Yahoo

Download here

Palringo: The one I use the most!

From website:

Palringo is the ultimate Instant Messaging client for mobile phones and computers.

Now you can chat with all your buddies, no matter what IM they use, all from one universal Instant Messenger.

See where your friends are right now with location and let everyone know where you are.

Create groups so you can send messages to everyone at the same time. Or search the existing groups to find chat rooms you’re interested in and meet new people.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pros:

• Finger friendly when switching between different chats
• Can set sounds and vibration settings within the app for IM notifications
• Can send voice messages (Records your voice on the phone and then uploads it to a site and sends your buddy a link to voice file so they can listen to it)
• Can send pictures (When you press picture tab camera is started and it lets you take a picture and send that to your buddy)
• Can set individual status for each account or you can set status for all your accounts.
• Allows invisible mode

Cons:

• Have to create a palringo account first
• Not finger friends when scrolling through contacts or within a chat
• Can not tell if a AIM buddy is away, idling, or online through their mobile phone but you can tell for gtalk buddies
• Have to log into accounts individually. No option to login to all of them at once.
• Average battery usage
  

  Supports:

  Yahoo, AIM, Gadu Gadu, ICQ, XMPP/Jabber, Facebook, Gtalk, IChat, MSN

Download here

Fring:

From Website:

fring™ is a mobile internet community and communication service that allows friends to connect, share experiences and enhance their online communities together.
Using your handset′s internet connection, you can interact with friends on all your favorite social networks

As well as it′s social appeal, fring also lets you make affordable local and international calls to landline and regular cellular numbers using your SkypeOut/SkypeIn account or almost any internet voice service (SIP) such as a1 overIP, PlusNet, Eutelia, Net2Phone and others; even from non-SIP enabled handsets.

Pros:

• Allows for voice chatting between buddies if they both have fring, Skype or Google talk
• Allows Skype out integration which you can use to call your contacts as well since it automatically retrieves your contacts and call history
• Also allows for basic chat functions
• Semi finger friendly

Cons:

• Too slow to start up and setup
• Confusing menus
• Battery hog
  

  Supports:

  Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo and AIM

Download here

Talkonaut:

From Website:

IM chat

Group chat

Presence and status

Chat history

Avatars

Calling over GPRS, 3G or WIFI

Calling to GTalk, MSN, Yahoo, AIM and iChat

Traffic compression (Zlib)

File sharing

SIP support

GPRS/WIFI auto-switching

Touch screen support

Pros:

• I have nothing to say did not like anything about this software had nothing that the other apps could not do better in my opinion in terms of instant messaging.

Cons:

• To slow to load my buddies and its just confusing to me.
• I just need a IM client that i can chat with all my friends don’t need much more but if the above options interest you then try it out.
  

  Supports:

  Jabber, Google Talk, ICQ, MSN, AIM and Yahoo

Download here

Nimbuzz:

From website:

Nimbuzz Mobile lets you call, chat, message, and send files on the go, for free. It combines all your buddies. One login, one contact list, all accounts. See who´s online and where, call/group-call, chat/chatrooms, offline messaging, send photos/music/video, voice messaging

Pros:

• Send photos just like palringo. (uploads photo that you take with your phone to a site and sends your contact a download link/ viewing link)
• Lets you dial a number using your regular phone through the application. (Don’t know why someone would use this)

Cons:

• Does not show buddies who have IMs forwarded to mobile phones
• Not finger friendly for scrolling contacts
• Battery hog

Supports:

Skype, MSN, Yahoo, ICQ, AIM, Google Talk

Download here

Ebuddy:

Pros:

• Allows me to have group chats on aim. That is the only thing I use it for.
• Easily change your status.

Cons:

• Java based. It is not like a regular app. Don’t really know what the difference is but I just wanted to point it out.
• Does not show if a buddy is away or on their mobile device.
• Have to have an Ebuddy account setup

Download:

Point your mobile browser to m.ebuddy.com and then you will see a download link.

Final Verdict:

I say the best options if you are only looking for chatting and not calling, voice chatting or sending files then Beejive IM should be number one choice. Also I ould recommend that you have Palringo installed and have your account setup just incase because Beejive IM is in permanent beta and I have had problems with their service being out for several days. Also Palringo allows you send voice notes and pictures which is an advantage. If you do a lot of group chats on AIM then I would say have ebuddy installed as well. Those are three that i have on my phone and the ones I use the most is Palringo mainly because of my keyboard problem with Beejive but if I did not have the keyboard problem I would use Beejive a majority of the time.

P.S: If I missed any IM clients that you think are good, just leave a comment about it and I will look it up.