Samsung's ChatON messaging service brings free texting to Android, iOS and BlackBerry

[KDroid]

It looks like Samsung is about to dip its toes in the mobile messaging market, with a new service called ChatON. Slated to debut at this week's IFA, the app brings texting, group chat and image / video sharing to not only Samsung's Bada OS, but to iOS, Android and BlackBerry platforms, as well. According to the Korean manufacturer, the new client will be available in two versions: a basic one for feature phones and another, more complex variation that allows smartphone users to comment on other profiles, send animated messages and visualize their most frequently contacted friends, as displayed above. The company is also planning to release a web-based version that would bring similar functionality to PCs. ChatON is slated to go live next month (in more than 120 countries and 62 languages), but you can find more information in the demo video and translated PR, after the break.

Cross-Platform & Free. That's what I like.

Source.

[noob]

now imagine, Gtalk on Phones(iOS,Android,BBM,Java,Symbian) having capability of sending files and this instantly kills samsung ChatON and "WhatsApp" like apps altogether.

Google has public API for gtalk so that anyone can build their own Gchat app using it.
Best eg is , Nimbuzz product...its uses same and hence lets Symbian users use Gtalk service on symbian phones.

1. Sending files from Phone -Phone and Phone-PC
2. A/V chat from phone-web-pc is already in android 2.3.4