As the premiere tech news site for all things mobile VoIP and messaging (among other things), one of the key things we were waiting for during Google’s I/O 2013 event was the launch of Babel, its unified mobile messaging application.
That launch is now here. The service is launching as the new Hangouts and is bringing with it new mobile applications spanning Android, iOS, Chrome, and Gmail. The UI of the apps puts the conversations square in the spotlight, and is consistent across all devices in the way of notifications, emoji, and photo sharing.
Group video chat is also coming along for the ride. Watermarks on the screen make it easy to see who’s typing as well.
If you’re aching to try the new unified Hangouts for yourself, you can already do so; the apps are currently available for Android and iOS, while the service is built into Gmail. For Chrome users, the service is only a mere extension download away.