They always say competition is good for the consumer, and we are definitely getting some competition in the push-capable Twitter app arena. Twitbit’s claim to fame is that it is the first “full-featured Twitter iPhone app to provide full support for push notifications.” But is that enough to sell you on a $4.99 Twitter app?
Unlike the many push-capable Twitter apps, including Boxcar, iTweetReply, and IM+ with Push, Twitbit can serve as your go-to Twitter app. Even though the interface is kind of bland, the app contains a hefty amount of features, including the ability to save tweets, upload pictures, start and stop following people, view trends, browse previously viewed tweets offline, use multiple accounts, and of course receive push notifications for mentions and direct messages.
Twitbit is appropriately priced at $4.99, which is right in line with other full-featured Twitter apps and of course the benefit is that this one has push. It’s worth mentioning that you could consider iTwitter a full-featured push-capable Twitter app, but to utilize the push notifications both users must be using the same app.
We have also added Twitbit to our Apps That Push You Applist, so now you can compare all of your push-capable Twitter app options.
[Thanks to bugdave for the tip!]
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I,m looking for a twiter app that will badge the number of tweets awaiting me before I go into the app. Hopefully that will come someday.
I’d like a badge for new tweets and the notification for the @ replies and direct messages.
Agreed!
I’ll be happy when the Twitter fad is over.
Finally, I’ve been waiting for a full-featured twitter client with Push, I’ll wait a bit longer to see if more push-enabled Twitter apps are released…!
I am happy with boxcar. But I’m sad it went on sale like 45 seconds after I bought it at full price
Tweetie will still be my “go-to” Twitter application even though I’ve tried a good deal of the Twitter applications that are available.
From my testing Tweetie appears to be the most stable and has a user interface that includes great functionality that does not appear cluttered. In my opinion it is steps above the rest in many areas but is indeed lacking Push support. To supplement this lacking I have begun using iTweetReply which has thus far been a good filler for this gap if not without a bit of buggyness.
The one thing to truly consider about push style technologies is that the originating server must actually support the push notification or have an intermediate server interpret and forward the data as a push notification. Given the way Twitter works this isn’t truly possible as yet. The current push applications use a server to keep you logged in and poll the Twitter server at some interval to determine if you have any new notifications and if you do they are sent to your phone. Thus, it isn’t “push” in the sense of say an Exchange or MobileMe account that a message hits the server and is then immediately delivered to the phone no polling or checking necessary.
Until Twitter changes some of their architecture to allow actual “push” notifications which require an enormous amount of server bandwidth due to the way the connection works we will still be sitting with applications that somewhat feign push features by having another server poll for messages and then deliver them without you having to open the app. To the end user this appears like a true push however generally it’s more of a fetch.
Either way the functionality is great given that we don’t have to open a Twitter app to know we received an @reply or Direct Message.
Just my 2 cents.
Fastcall sounds interesting.
I’d like a twitter app in which you can choose accounts that you want to receive push notifications for when they tweet. Although this looks like a good start
I just want TwitterFon to get push. Or Twitterrific, if it fixes the other broken parts.
So, is this the twitter app to get? Getting my iphone tomorrow.
Ok this is a little wired but the screen shot for this app looks JUST like tweetie.
i’ll just use itweetreply until twitterfon or twitterrific updates their app.
Which Twitter app is like the best of all?? I want one that gives me more control over the features of Twitter.
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