Well now that Textra is charging I'm going back stock/Hangouts

[warpdrive]

I buy a lot of apps. This is how devs get the opportunity to support and improve their apps. If you look at most of the apps, they really are effortless, cobbled together garbage that are useless or worse. The ones that you actually enjoy using are usually done professionally. Most good apps are done by Google or OEMs or other giant organizations. But some of the third party devs we love need our support if we want them to continue to invest in the products they support. I personally very much dislike ads in apps. But, if the Dev institutes their use and provides a way to remove them via a pro version or in app purchase, I will do that just about every time. Last year I spent a little over $800 on apps, this year I'm not quite to $600 yet. I feel like we need to do our part to show developers that android is a system worth their time to develop for.

Nexus 6 Assassin Edition. Android Central Moderator.

I agree with you so much that I normally don't even play/support freemium games. This free garbage hurts everyone. My friends laugh at first that I spend money on apps and games. Then I show them the difference in paid vs free and they are convinced on the spot, especially with games.

Besides, I have a philosophy. If it doesn't cost you some money, then it's YOU who is for sale...If you get what I mean.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[HeightenedState]

Textra is really nice. Since they're charging to remove ads now, I'll switch back to Google Messenger first.

Don't get me wrong, I support a lot of developers on Android by purchasing their apps.

However, it seems that Textra is only charging to remove the ads for now. I will definitely be willing to pay the developer more than just a dollar (heck, even $5) if they get to add the additional features that many people have been longing for like sender avatars in the conversations and more font size and style options.

 

[Saturn1217]

Exactly. I've been using Textra forever. An SMS app is a very heavily used app. I would be unhappy with some kind of subscription pricing but, at least the way I understood it, you just need to pay 99 cents to upgrade to pro.

I am easily willing to pay $1 for an app I literally use every day.

Remember if you are not willing to pay upfront it just pushes devs to make apps annoying with terrible (and slow) ads or recurrent micro transactions. It makes things worse for everyone.

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[deeb215]

Received a discreet alert at the bottom of the app this morning. I went ahead and upgraded through the app, quick and painless. Hopefully their ad system is tasteful as well for those who decide to go that way. I text a lot so it's worth every penny for me to avoid the ads completely.

 

[Cajun_Fan]

Textra is really nice. Since they're charging to remove ads now, I'll switch back to Google Messenger first.

Don't get me wrong, I support a lot of developers on Android by purchasing their apps.

However, it seems that Textra is only charging to remove the ads for now. I will definitely be willing to pay the developer more than just a dollar (heck, even $5) if they get to add the additional features that many people have been longing for like sender avatars in the conversations and more font size and style options.

I found this from the same developer of Textra, one of the pics looks like it has avatars in conversation, unless I am misunderstanding what you mean.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...pps/details?id=com.p1.chompsms&token=FZXlc92K

I don't know if this one is as good as textra or not, I haven't tried either one.

 

[VDub2174]

The message told me that most OnePlus owners use the free version. I'm not like most OnePlus owners
.
I paid the .99 for the Pro version thanks to my Google Rewards balance

 

[HeightenedState]

Ah yes, that's what I mean.

However, chompSMS seems to lack the material design details that Textra has. :s

 

[Almeuit]

I found this from the same developer of Textra, one of the pics looks like it has avatars in conversation, unless I am misunderstanding what you mean.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...pps/details?id=com.p1.chompsms&token=q2L1eYOr

I don't know if this one is as good as textra or not, I haven't tried either one.

I use ChompSMS (I have for years -- before there was a Textra) -- It is basically the same. It also has a pro version that I bought many years ago .. still no ads due to this purchase .. and still get to use a great app .

 

[Kalvin Kerns]

Well the way I figured it I am already paying the carrier a crapton of money monthly in addition to paying the manufacturer for the device, it seems to me that the apps/developers should be supported by the carriers and manufacturers with all that cash they are fleecing from us.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Almeuit]

Well the way I figured it I am already paying the carrier a crapton of money monthly in addition to paying the manufacturer for the device, it seems to me that the apps/developers should be supported by the carriers and manufacturers with all that cash they are fleecing from us.

Posted via the Android Central App

That ... just doesn't make sense. They are two different entities .. two different companies .. in two different businesses.

 

[Aquila]

Well the way I figured it I am already paying the carrier a crapton of money monthly in addition to paying the manufacturer for the device, it seems to me that the apps/developers should be supported by the carriers and manufacturers with all that cash they are fleecing from us.

Posted via the Android Central App

The carrier and OEM both already do add a bunch of apps that they want you to have for free. We call that bloatware and the apps are usually (not always) terrible. Many apps are free because the companies sponsoring them want you to use their system and you're already a customer otherwise of theirs or your usage somehow helps another facet of their business (see Facebook, Twitter, banks, travel companies, etc). Approximately 0% of the money that you pay to the carrier and/or OEM makes its way to Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. unless indirectly because the OEM and/or carrier are buying advertising space from those companies, etc. Exactly 0% of that money makes its way to the third party developers who develop as a source of income. If you enjoy the free apps, you're obviously welcome to use them over paid apps, there are a lot of them. But my personal opinion is that it is unreasonable to ask people to provide goods or services to you for free. If companies choose to do that as collateral for volume based or tangential revenue flows, that's awesome - but the dev in their home office working on an app or ROM or whatever owes us absolutely nothing. If we're not showing support for them, why should they cater to us at all? I'm not clear on where the idea of paying someone for their hard work becomes alien.

 

[Monee_121]

Got my notification this morning, upgraded and paid the $1 with no problem. How fair is it to ask for more features before any investment? Business 101...

Posted via AC app from my Galaxy S6 Edge

 

[Kalvin Kerns]

The carrier and OEM both already do add a bunch of apps that they want you to have for free. We call that bloatware and the apps are usually (not always) terrible. Many apps are free because the companies sponsoring them want you to use their system and you're already a customer otherwise of theirs or your usage somehow helps another facet of their business (see Facebook, Twitter, banks, travel companies, etc). Approximately 0% of the money that you pay to the carrier and/or OEM makes its way to Google, Facebook, Twitter, etc. unless indirectly because the OEM and/or carrier are buying advertising space from those companies, etc. Exactly 0% of that money makes its way to the third party developers who develop as a source of income. If you enjoy the free apps, you're obviously welcome to use them over paid apps, there are a lot of them. But my personal opinion is that it is unreasonable to ask people to provide goods or services to you for free. If companies choose to do that as collateral for volume based or tangential revenue flows, that's awesome - but the dev in their home office working on an app or ROM or whatever owes us absolutely nothing. If we're not showing support for them, why should they cater to us at all? I'm not clear on where the idea of paying someone for their hard work becomes alien.

I get it, I just feel I'm getting ripped off by the carriers and that that money should go to something useful like app devs.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[Almeuit]

I get it, I just feel I'm getting ripped off by the carriers and that that money should go to something useful like app devs.

Posted via the Android Central App

And that would be nice but .. two difference business purposes would never allow that to happen. That would be like me hating gas prices so the money I pay the car company for the car is given by to the gas company (from the car company) so I don't have to. It just wouldn't work .

 

[Aquila]

And that would be nice but .. two difference business purposes would never allow that to happen. That would be like me hating gas prices so the money I pay the car company for the car is given by to the gas company (from the car company) so I don't have to. It just wouldn't work .

But it would be cool if they did

 

[Almeuit]

But it would be cool if they did

I agree on that sir! .

 

[Shon123]

I doubt if I pay $.99 for Textra because I like it but I don't love it. It's too simple for my liking (too each their own) as in simple I mean the simple layout option of only being able to change the color of the UI. I just looked up Google Messenger and it looks the exact same to me. I don't see the difference?? The one reason why I've stuck with Textra is it's ability to mute group messages and it's fasted than stock.

 

[Ericks89]

Textra makes some pretty good apps, is .99C really that expensive?... I'd still pay if it were under $5, support the devs if you enjoy the app.

 

[tonyr6]

I never used Hangouts for text messaging. I always use to use Textra. I had not enough time to play with Google Messenger but the OP should try that instead of Hangouts.

 

[tonyr6]

Textra makes some pretty good apps, is .99C really that expensive?... I'd still pay if it were under $5, support the devs if you enjoy the app.

The developer got greedy. He/she whoever already charges money to remove ads from ChompSMS. Now that Textra is just as popular the developer decided to milk more money. Why not just combine both apps now that they have annoying ads in the free version.