First Looks: BeeJive for iPhone
BeeJive has had an instant messenger application for the iPhone in the form of a Web App for quite some time -- in fact, it was one of the best! Recently, BeeJive has ventured into the world of native iPhone applications. I already mentioned most of the features of BeeJive in a previous post, so this time I'll examine the main features.
"Push" notifications of new IMs
The BeeJive developers are proud to offer 24/7 connectivity, meaning you can receive IMs even if the app is closed. They accomplish this feat by connecting you through their servers and sending you updates through email if you receive an IM while the application is closed. This works well, as long as you have a push email account.
Landscape view
You can send IMs in landscape mode using the larger iPhone keyboard, which is nice, but it would be nicer to initiate landscape mode from any tab, not just chat.
Bottom Line
BeeJive has created an application that is very polished and refined. You are able to customize almost every aspect in the iPhone's Settings (from background color, to turning on/off vibration). This kind of customization really allows the user to connect with the software -- it would be nice to see this amount of customization in other iPhone apps.
However, this application is a little pricey at $15.99 (US). You can download BeeJiveIM from the iTunes App Store [link]. Be sure to take a look at our gallery of screenshots.
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