Category: Social Networking
Type: Instant Messenger
Cost: FREE
Rating: 4+
Current iTunes Reviews: 29,602 ratings, 3.5 stars

Now with Push Notification, AIM® lets you stay even more connected with the people you care about right on your iPhone or iPod Touch. Communicate whenever you want, wherever you are. Connect with friends and family and keep track of status, location, and presence updates in real time.

Features include:
• Send and receive messages over WiFi, EDGE, or 3G networks*
• Connect to anyone on the AIM network worldwide, whether they're on AOL®, AIM, ICQ®, .mac or MobileMe
• See who's available before you contact them
• Configure multiple screen names and switch between identities any time
• Stay logged in for up to 24 hours and receive notifications through Apple's Push Notification service (iPhone OS 3.0 or higher only) or via SMS when you receive new IMs
• View expressions and update status
• Send IMs and SMS text messages* - even from an iPod Touch
• View your buddy list and conversations in landscape mode
• Take pictures with the built-in camera to use as your buddy icon
• Share your location with your buddies and find out who's nearby with the Buddies Near Me smart buddy group
• Manage your Buddy List® feature, choose Favorites, or add a new buddy anytime. Your changes are automatically synced with iChat and AIM for Windows or Mac.
• Access your Contacts directly from within AIM - send an IM to a screen name or an SMS to a phone number.

It's easy to get started. Just sign in using your existing AOL, AIM, .mac or MobileMe name, or register for a free screen name right from your device.

Any service can send messages. But with AIM, you're really connected.

AIM for iPhone (Free Edition) is ad supported. To use AIM without ads or to get landscape support, purchase AIM on the App Store - just look for the purple icon (where available).

Let us know what you think about AIM and hear from our team at http://iblog.aol.com/.

* iPod Touch only supports WiFi; SMS notifications require an iPhone with a wireless data plan and charges from your wireless carrier may apply.
SMS features are not available in all countries.

What's new

Reduced number of audio notifications for multiple incoming IMs on launch.

AIM (Free Edition) is an instant messenger program for the iPhone put out by AOL. Though it seems the logical choice for an AIM app, it's is far from the best option out there. In fact, AIM (Free Edition) is not even the best free instant messenger on the market. That's not to say that the program is awful. It does exactly what it claims to - gives you a way to access AIM on your iPhone. The push notifications are an excellent advantage over any other free program on the market.

So what's the issue? It's SLOW. I find that even on my 3GS, I cannot toggle between two conversations in a way that is practical enough to feel as though I am conversing with anyone. Every time an IM is sent to you, either by the person you are chatting with or someone else, AIM (Free Edition) freezes up just long enough to be irritating.

The program isn't terrible, but there are better alternatives out there. I've yet to try the paid version, so I can't comment if these issues are resolved by it. I just can't bring myself to shell out $2.99 for an app of a program that is free online. It doesn't help AOL's case that other programs (IM Chat, anyone?) are cheaper and do more.

Overall impression: 5/10
Value for your money: 10/10 - it's free!

12:56 PM
Categories: Author: Nicole