Mobile social network Nimbuzz launches Android application

Nimbuzz has announced the launch of an Android application for it’s mobile social messaging service. The free app for Android comes after the updated iPhone 3.0 release in mid-July.

What does Nimbuzz do?

It’s a mobile messaging hub, combining a lot of different services in one application. Nimbuzz mainly focuses on Instant Messaging, geo-presence, and VoIP. Through the Nimbuzz “buddy list”, you can see if your friends are available to talk, what service they are available over, and where they are. It acts as a hub for quite a few existing services, including Skype, Google Talk, AIM, Facebook and MySpace.

Is there anything special for the Android app?

Unique to the Android app is a “local social network” feature. What it means is that Nimbuzz users in non-English speaking countries will have access to their most popular national networks. The examples given were Hyves in the Netherlands, StudiVZ from Germany, Gadu-Gadu from Poland, and Giovani from Italy. The Nimbuzz blog also claims that Skype IM is a unique feature to the Android version, with other versions only using the VoIP part of Skype.

Another cool new feature is a “time-sensitive” click. If you touch a friends contact in the app, it opens their profile. But if you touch and hold, it starts a chat.

Check out the Nimbuzz video for a look at the new features:

From the release:

Evert-Jaap Lugt, founder and CEO of Nimbuzz: “Mobiles are no longer just about hardware but software. Nimbuzz increases the value of the handset and enriches the user experience. Our Android version is a perfect example of what we do best, integrating Nimbuzz’s award winning service to bring the best out of each operating system and handset.”

What we think?

I’ve got to admit that I’m impressed. The useability features of this app are great - I particularly like the “re-connect” feature for dodgy wi-fi connections. Tweaks like that make using a service like this a more enjoyable experience, and that’s the kind of thing that will drive numbers.