Developer: Verbs IM
Price: $1.00
Version Reviewed: 1.0
Device Reviewed On: iPhone
 
Verbs IM is a chat client for iOS that gives users access to services like Facebook, AIM, Google Talk and Mobile Me.
The app lets users log in and use any of the supported chat clients simultaneously. Impressively, the app features some of the individual extras that make each service unique. For instance, it displays user’s buddy icons while running AIM. Thankfully, Verbs IM also features a landscape mode, making using the client on the iPhone as ergonomical as any official Apple app. The app runs in the background for about 10 minutes, sending any received messages via notification form. The 99-cent version does not support complete push notifications, though (hence the whole 10-minute time limit). Instead, users must purchase Verbs IM Pro, which will run them $4.99.
The app features some other notable functionality. Users can download and view Office and iWorks documents and can also e-mail chat logs from within the app. Quite handy. What’s more, Verbs IM features file sharing connectivity in the form of support for CloudApp and Droplr.
Verbs IM is a well-designed chat client that makes using multiple services at once more seamless and manageable. That said, it’s a bit pricey considering what it offers. The $1 version doesn’t really feature any kind of functionality that I’d say warrants its cost. More concerning, the $5 version does not bring anything to the table to justify its steep price tag. Yes, users get push notifications – but, really, that probably should have been included in the basic version. The Pro version also claims to offer better battery life by routing everything through a single “network connection.” Not sure if that’s worth 5 bucks, though.
I’d pass on this one, as there are other apps priced more competitively that do more.