AIM – the AOL Instant Messenger – has just added some tasty new features to its iPhone client, including the ability to notify you of incoming messages even when AIM isn’t running. Sort of.
On the surface, AIM for iPhone is a fairly standard Instant Messaging client – of which there is not exactly a shortage on the iPhone. Even worse, it is restricted to just the OSCAR protocol, so no Google Talk, or Jabber chatting for you.
Assuming you are ok with AOL’s walled garden, though, the new AIM for iPhone client is pretty nifty. You can send free SMS messages to anyone in your contacts list (US only at the moment), use the iPhone’s GPS to show buddies in your vicinity and – best of all – be notified of incoming chat messages even when using your phone for something else.
AIM for iPhone doesn’t use Apple’s long-promised Push Notification system but simply sends you a text message when a buddy tries to get in touch, reminding you to log in to AIM to chat with them. It is a clunky fix for a problem that shouldn’t really exist but it will have to do until Apple gets its finger out and allows proper Push Notifications.
The formerly free AIM for iPhone has actually split in two – becoming a paid app with a free, ad-supported version. Both offer the same features, one just comes with a slightly annoying pop-up every now and again.
