Updated Facebook Messenger v1.7 Can Now Do Everything that BBM Can

Research in Motion (RIM), the company behind the BlackBerry, has had it rough these past couple of months. Competition from other mobile phone makers has always been stiff, but BlackBerry's major point of differentiation was it's BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) app.

However, it looks like Facebook Messenger version 1.7 is out to kill the BBM, because it offers the same features that the latter does and more--and now it's available for iOS and Android devices, and will be coming soon for BlackBerries.

Facebook Messenger v1.7 for Android adds the following features:

• Text friends for free using your existing data plan
• Reach friends, whether they're on their phone or on the web
• Know who's seen your message, and who hasn't
• See where friends are messaging you from

Meanwhile, v1.7 for the iOS version of Facebook Messenger offers these updates:

• Typing indicator – see when your friend is replying
• Bug fixes

You can get Facebook Messenger for Android from the Google Play store and download the iPhone version from Apple's App Store.

Article by Hazel Chua
Gigadgetry: Cool Gadgets, Tech News, Quirky Devices