You may take WhatsApp for granted on your capable Android or iOS smartphone, but millions of smart feature phone users across the world were unable to use the chat app. That is until now.
KaiOS Technologies, the creator of the eponymous feature phone operating system, on Monday announced that WhatsApp is now available on KaiOS phones globally with at least 256GB of RAM. Previously, the app was only officially available on India’s JioPhone.
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We’re excited to announce that @WhatsApp is now available in the KaiStore, connecting friends and family through KaiOS-powered #SmartFeaturePhones using both 256MB and 512MB of RAM! https://t.co/pUnxKmWNk7 pic.twitter.com/G90AXNqtvB
— KaiOS Technologies (@KaiOStech) July 22, 2019
KaiOS currently runs on more than 100-million phones worldwide, including MTN’s Smart S and Nokia’s 8110 remake. It provides basic smartphone-like functionality — from apps to music playback and storage, as well as Google services support — at a cost of a feature phone.
The official version of WhatsApp for KaiOS can now be downloaded by users from the KaiStore. It will also come preinstalled on KaiOS phones from the third quarter of 2019.
This is likely good news for Facebook too, as WhatsApp is set to gain a slew of users, bolstering its 1.5-billion-strong user base.
Feature image: The Nokia 8110, by Hadlee Simons/Memeburn
