https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIEnN1KmxKk&feature=youtu.be
Microsoft has just joined the ranks of companies looking to capitalize on the success of ephemeral messaging apps like Snapchat. Through its Skype division, the company has launched a new cross-platform app for iOS, Android, and (of course) Windows Phone called Skype Qik. The premise of the application, as can be seen in the video above and screenshots below, is simple: you can record a quick video, and then share it to either one person in your address book or multiple groups of people.
Differentiating itself from some of the other players, the Skype-based solution is video-focused, and Skype is positioning it as a communication tool for in between full-scale Skype video chats. Notably, the whole service is connected to your phone number and existing contacts list, so it doesn’t require signing up with a standard Skype account. If you send a message via Qik to a user without the Qik app, the other person will be sent an SMS text message with instructions for downloading the Qik app to view the video message. This app is based on the technology from startup Qik, which Skype acquired a few years ago.
By default, videos will expire after two weeks, and you can also un-send messages at any time. A cool feature of Skype Qik is the ability to pre-record various 5 second GIFs that you can send as instant replies. So, if you don’t have the ability to send a live video reply, you can just choose one of your pre-record defaults. The app is free today on the aforementioned platforms, and Microsoft says that updates, such as one for blocking iPhone contacts (that feature is available today on Android and Windows Phone), will come often to enhance the feature-set.
You can view some screenshots of the iPhone app in action below:
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Will not use software when they can neither properly pronounce they name of their own product or gif.
Yeah, that’s a good reason not to use an app. In fact its almost as reprehensible as misspelling the word “the”.
a typo is no where near the same level of an issue, and can be edited
I’m getting so tired of people trying to mimic Snapchat. Snapchat is good enough, and enough people use it. It’s also keeps getting better. Just give up and come up with an original idea, we don’t need anymore Snapchats.
Microsoft is an enigma with a slight hint of masochistic behavior.
First off, there’s no branding in this ad. Even if Microsoft wants Skype to be neutral in the world of smartphones and apps there’s absolutely no reason they need to feature the iPhone for approximately 25% of this ad. The first 24-seconds are devoted to the iPhone 5c and just before the end they reuse footage from earlier in the commercial (refer to time-marks 0:06 and 1:23 along with the last 9 seconds that feature the iPhone closing out the ad) deifying the iPhone that plays more like an ad conceived by Apple.
It’s not until we’re more than halfway through the commercial that a Lumia phone is featured and it gets far less screen time than the iPhone, LG and HTC phones in the ad.
Is it safe to assume no one from MS corporate offices saw this commercial? Or did MS see it, noticed that their own product was only featured in a matter of seconds compared to the iPhone and just didn’t care?!
It boggles the mind what Microsoft’s end game. How can they grow marketshare and been regarded as just as cool and relevant as Apple when they keep shining the spotlight on Apple’s products?!
With that said, the app looks okay but is it just me or are we becoming inundated with messaging/video chat apps? I keep hearing that WhatsApp is the most popular but I don’t know a single person that uses it. My small collection of friends is hardly a scientific study but I just don’t see it in the wild.
Or, another way to look at it is that they showed the shittiest iPhone currently for sale, the 5C, instead of the 5S, or the 6.
But in terms of Microsoft/Skype having no clue what they’re doing in general, I’d have to agree. The UI of mobile skype is a confusing, non sensical mess.
Also, this ad is insanely obnoxious. Yeah, we need more people walking around not looking where theyre going, and taking video of themselves instead.
this is a bit off topic but…My iPhone 6 was stolen the other day so I had to go to apple store, order a new 6 and I bought a 5C until it comes, and then I’ll return the 5C. Other than the size issue (after using the 6 for a couple weeks) the 5C is actually pretty nice. It has a nice feel to it. the unapologetic plastic doesn’t feel plastic, it almost has a metallic feel to it. i’m a bit surprised how much I don’t hate it. Having said that, i can not wait until my new 6 gets here…you really can’t go backwards with these phones.
I’ve only met ONE person that used WhatsApp, and she is from France.
Apps that have been around for a while have become irrelevant, such as Vine.
Hey Microsoft,
We don’t need this. Please fix buggy Skype app instead.
Thanks,
– everyone
7.5 billion dollars later…
for those who don’t know nothing: QIK was a company that skype acquired in 2011 it was a competitor