WhatsApp Video Calling and Native Desktop Client — Future of WhatsApp?

WhatsApp Video calling could put Apple’s Facetime and Microsoft's Skype in its crosshairs 

 One billion and counting — that’s the number of Monthly Active Users (MAUs) WhatsApp now boasts. MAUs keep climbing and Facebook is quite happy with the $19 billion acquisition. However, Facebook’s Internet domination doesn’t just end here. It is expanding its umbrella of apps to lure in more users and stay on the top.

To introduce new features and stay relevant, WhatsApp turned to privacy. The end-to-end encryption service that it offers on its messaging platform seems popular with the user base, but ticks off the regulatory authorities and privacy opponents. While the app is embroiled in bans and attacks on its privacy features, we take a look at where WhatsApp is headed and the new features the team could be working on to keep people hooked to the messaging platform.

Video Calling

Rumors are that WhatsApp is working on a native desktop client, video calling, Voicemail, sharing of zip files, NFC Tags, and Group Invites. After voice calling was rolled out last year to nearly all platforms, video calling seemed inevitable and the next logical step for the WhatsApp team.

It’s been more than a year and yet there is no solid confirmation about whether WhatsApp will introduce video calling. A new screenshot leak reported by AndroidPolice, however, indicates that the video-calling feature is in the works. The language and the options to place a video call have been rolled out to a few beta users, but the function itself is not live. When WhatsApp rolled out voice calling initially, it implemented an invite-like system for users. Whether it’s the same case this time around we don’t know, but will keep an eye out for updates.

The video-calling feature could present lots of challenges to Microsoft Corporation’s Skype. We don’t think Apple’s Facetime would suffer any major setbacks, given it is compatible with only Apple products and its fanbase is likely to stick with Facetime. However, Skype could face stiff competition from WhatsApp. If we look at the strategy closely, the parent, Facebook follows the same one; keep the user hooked longer into the ecosystem instead of going out to a third-party app for another feature. With the video-calling option WhatsApp users will not have to use Skype anymore.
It’s not all bad news for Skype though. In some Middle Eastern countries, WhatsApp voice calling is banned, and video calling might meet the same fate. In those cases, Skype would be the top choice. Whatever the case turns out to be, WhatsApp with video calling will push the competition far.

Native Desktop Client

As far as the expansion and growth phase is concerned, WhatsApp wants to reach out to the next 6 billion users, which means it would need to be in every phone that can support the app. However, for that some users would have to upgrade their phone so it is compatible with WhatsApp. Since Facebook or WhatsApp cannot possibly start handing out smartphones right now so it’s targeting desktop folks — at least for now.

Rumor also has it that a native desktop client for WhatsApp is in the works. At present, users can access WhatsApp on their computers via a web client. However, for that their phone needs to be online and the computer needs to pair up initially for WhatsApp on the Web to work. With the native desktop client, it seems WhatsApp is pushing toward independence from the phone. Would users be required to provide a valid email address to activate their WhatsApp? What’s would be the sign up process and feasibility and how many users would end up using it are some questions we don’t have the answer to yet. However, these rumors confirm one thing and that is WhatsApp wants to expand to more users and eliminate rivals. According to Statista, WhatsApp had 600 million + MAU’s as of August, 2014 before the landmark Facebook acquisition. As of February, 2016 WhatsApp's MAU stood at more than 1 billion and now it is considered as one of the most popular mobile apps worldwide. The future focus seems to be on expansion on mobile and desktop, independence from mobile with the native desktop client, and introduction of much-needed new features i.e. video calling.
Source: Tech News Today