AIM 2.0 for iPhone gets paid version, SMS, location
updated 10:55 pm EST, Wed February 25, 2009
AIM update for iPhone
AOL has split AIM 2.0 for the iPhone into an ad-supported free download, known as AIM Free, and a paid version, AIM Paid. Both variants offer several new features including SMS notifications, location-aware services and support for multiple accounts. Users can access contacts from within AIM, with a choice to send an IM or an SMS message to a phone number. An account can stay logged-in for up to 24 hours, even while the program isn't running.
The SMS alerts provide a workaround for the lack of push-notification support. While the app will not turn on when a message is received, users can configure an option to send an SMS message to their iPhone or other handset when a new message arrives. The location-aware services can be used to share locations between buddies, with a "Buddies Near Me" group that shows the contacts that are nearby.
AIM Free works with the iPhone and iPod touch and is currently available from the App Store, while the paid version is still "rolling through the approval cycle" and will be released soon.
