Google Talk has been updated for the iPhone, bringing text chat to the handset with more bells and whistles than ever.
The new version isn’t a full-blown app, but instead runs inside the Apple phone’s Safari web browser.
“In order to receive instant messages with Google Talk on your iPhone, the application needs to be open in your Safari browser,” explained Google engineer Adam Connors.
“When you navigate away to another browser window or application, your status will be changed to ‘unavailable’ and your Google Talk session will be restarted when you return.”
Of course, that’s hardly ideal. What we’re really waiting for is a proper Google Talk app, hopefully on the cards for the Application Store’s launch next week. That should bring incoming messages, and proper multi-tasking to the handset.
Until then, however, Google Talk’s browser-based service could help you dodge text message fees, albeit in a very fiddly way.
Out now | £free | Google
