China Mobile Launched A Skype-Like App Jego,Eyeing the Global Market
Several months ago a leaked report from China Mobile told us that the world largest carrier were trying to revamp its former IM service star Fetion to fight back against WeChat. Before long, the company launched a new offering of its own, a skype-like messaging app Jego eyeing the global market.
Officially released for iOS and Android on June 1st, Jego offers HD video calls and direct calls to mobile or fixed lines with a lower rate. Apart from that Jego has those regular services most messaging apps would offer like text/voice chats, video calls or file sharing.
Screenshots of Jego for iPhone
With Jego, calling China-based number or HK-based number costs only $0.022/minute and $ 0.023/minute, respectively, which is cheaper than Skype or the company’s traditional fee offer.
The BD manager of China Mobile’s international business revealed that Jego did not aim to compete with the messaging app king Wechat or any other popular guy in this field. Instead he pointed out that Jego would rather regard the internet call-focused service Skype to be its real rival. Speaking of the main competence of this new product, the stand-out video chats feature make people associate it with some similar products like Wechat, Tango or Viber rather than Skype.
Some insiders commented that Jego was the first mobile VoIP product China Mobile has ever developed, but it met up with the new tide of OTT apps crashing the traditional carrier services. To keep itself survive, it seems the company still needs to offer more.