ChatON, Samsung’s Version Of iMessage, Arrives In Android Market

Samsung’s cross-platform messaging application called ChatON has arrived in the Google Android Market this morning. The service, announced in August, is similar to RIM’s BlackBerry BBM or Apple’s iMessage in that it allows for an alternative to SMS or MMS messaging.

At present, ChatON supports Android, bada and Samsung feature phones, but the company promises support for iOS and BlackBerry soon.

In addition to mobile chat, ChatON plans to offer a Web-based client that will allow users to chat from their PCs, too. Users can have private 1-to 1-conversations, participate in group chats and share media, like photos, videos, voice messages and contacts.

On Samsung’s feature phones, the service allows for text, images, calendar appointment and contact sharing. On smartphones, users will have a few extra options, such as the ability to comment on each other’s profiles, send multimedia messages that combine text and audio, and view their own “Interaction Rank,” which displays how active they are on the ChatOn network.

The Android Market description also adds something about sending “animation” messages, which are created by drawing.

The Android version is available here in the Android Market. It works on Android 2.2 and 2.3. The Samsung (bada, feature phone) version is available in the Samsung App Store. (Note that this is not available in all markets).

Hat tip: Samsung Hub