All your comms services in one Symbian app

NOTHING INSIDE this latest app for Symbian phones is radically new. It's just that Nimbuzz puts all the instant messaging, chatting and free internet calling features you'd ever want to one place.

And so it should too, given that the file for the Nokia Series handset used to test the software was a massive 1.2 Mb. That's huge. The INQ is used to Symbian files being about 300 Kb at most. But then what's the point of having an all-you-can eat data tariff if you don't cane it now and then? Eh?

The major attraction to Nimbuzz was its support for a really wide range of IM (instant messaging) clients, all bundled together. The list includes virtually all of the major IM services such as AIM, Google Talk, MSN, and Yahoo!

So you don't have to sign all your mates up to Nimbus' own service just to get to chat to them. As usual those IM buddies can be reached on their Windows PCs (not Macs yet) - not just on other mobile phones.

The next benefit we discovered is that Nimbus supports Skype as well as its own internet VoIP calling facility. Naturally, there's 'presence' built in too. So you can see who's around immediately.

Of course, none of this is radially different. However, when it comes to exchanging files, then the way this has been implemented within Nimbuzz is impressive. If another application – like Skype, for example – supports a file transfer facility then Nimbuzz hooks into it.

On top of this, this particular app makes it very, very simple to send a pic you've just taken with your cameraphone to your buddies. Forget MMS (picture messaging). This is method dead simple and given that you can use a Wi-fi rather than MMS or a 3G connexion, it can be free, too.

There's a whole bunch of some very corporate-like facilities built into Nimbuzz, too. You can group call; group chat; or group message. Actually, if you're already signed into a group chat - say with Skype - then you don't even even need to use the Nimbuzz group facility directly.

One facility which Nimbuzz uses in a slightly different manner to its rivals is called 'local dial in'. Essentially what you do here is to call into a local telephone number and connect into the internet from there. This is useful if you want to make a VoIP voice call, for example, but don't want to use your data plan and there's no Wi-fi link available.

This review featured the Symbian/Series 60 client software which has only just been released. Previously a Java version for Crackberries had been on offer and in the very near future Nimbuzz hopes to have a Windows Mobile version, too.

One last facility which might be worth investigating is that Nimbus offers widgets that you can put onto your favourite social networking page - like Facebook - and let's your buddies make free calls to your Nimbus enabled mobile phone.

In essence, none of this is Earth-shatteringly innovative. A Nimbuzz spokesperson claimed that as many as 130 rival companies provide at least one or two elements built into this application. But Nimbuzz is the best app that puts all of these different kinds of communication in one place that the INQ has seen so far.