Oct 6, 2014

Google set to take on WhatsApp with new free messaging service

Google is set to launch a free messaging app similar to Whatsapp.

The firm is believed to be planning to launch the app next year after testing it in India.

It reportedly lost up to Facebook when it tried to buy WhatApp for $6bn.

'Last month, Google sent top product manager Nikhyl Singhal to India to do a recce of the messaging app ecosystem in the country as the company looks to catch up on an opportunity it lost to others,' The Economic Times said.

'The Google messenger is in early stages of development and is likely to be launched in 2015, sources aware of the plans said.'

The app will be available for free, and will not require users to register with their main Google account, it has been claimed.

Singhal, a Director of Google+, Hangouts, and Photos, will visit India next month,

India, which currently has 815 million mobile connections is expected to become the world's second-largest smartphone market behind China by 2019.

Having failed with a rumoured £6 billion bid to acquire Whatsapp earlier this year, Google hopes to take it on with its own product.

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