SMS vs Viber SMS
SMS, or more commonly known as texting, is probably the most economical way of communication. But with the proliferation of smartphones, it’s facing stiff competition from services like the Viber SMS. Viber is actually a smartphone application that is currently available on Android and iOS devices. It serves to send and receive messages just like SMS. But the main difference between SMS and Viber SMS is in how they get the message across. Regular SMS relies on the cellular network in order to transport the message from the sender to the recipient. In contrast, Viber SMS uses the internet via a data connection. The message is sent to Viber servers and then forwarded to the recipient.
The biggest advantage of Viber SMS over regular SMS is in the charges that they incur. Most telecoms charge a subscriber to be able to use SMS, though the actual amount may vary depending on the plan you have. Viber SMS does not have any charges but you do need to have a data connection present. You can get it via a data plan or, like the most of us, by using WiFi connections. The latter translates to virtually free messaging since we usually need internet connections in our homes, schools, or offices.
Another advantage of Viber SMS over regular SMS is its consistent means of determining the status of your message. Your messages would be marked “delivered” if the recipient has actually received your messages. The word “sent” would be in its place if the message is still in the Viber server and cannot be sent because the recipient is currently offline. The SMS standard does have provisions for similar mechanisms, but most companies do not implement it so you don’t really know if your message has been received or not.
The only major hindrance to using Viber is that not all people have it. Only Android phones and iPhones have it for the moment, thereby excluding all cellphone user that do not have these operating systems. Regular SMS is a feature inherent in all phones, thus it would not really matter what phone you or your intended recipient have, you can always send them an SMS.
Summary:
- SMS uses the cellular network while Viber SMS uses a data connection
- SMS often incurs charges while Viber SMS does not
- Viber SMS provides a consistent way of determining the status of your message while SMS does not
- SMS can reach just about anyone while Viber SMS is limited to Viber users only