if im not mistaken, whatsapp already monetizes their users, charging $1 / year after the first year.
with 700m active users, they potentially could be generating ~ 3.6% of their sale price in annual revenue.
with 700m active users, they potentially could be generating ~ 3.6% of their sale price in annual revenue.
They will not charge you if, for example, you're someone living in the USA. There is far too much free competition.
For their non smartphone market (don't have numbers but its large), there is very little if any at all competition, and people in places like india gladly pay the $1 fee for a years access on their dumbphone.
I am in India and I have never been charged for Whatsapp. Every year, whatsapp decides to add more free months.
Also, there is significant competition in the messaging space in India, and Indians are not comfortable paying for anything other than their phones.
Part of that may be due to the fact that WhatsApp grows so fast that most users haven't been around for a year, but I'm under the impression that after a year, if you don't pay, the app continues to work and you never lose access.
On what planet can the act of becoming profitable be considered a "backfire"?
Revenues don't mean a thing.