One of my favorite ways to save money by texting between folks in my contact list on the Apple iPhone was just announced for the Google Android platform.

GOGII, Inc. announces today the launch of textPlus, its popular next generation texting application, on the Android Market. Previously available only on the Apple App Store, the unique textPlus app now brings sponsor-supported free and unlimited messaging to Android users and allows them to have instant group “conversations” in text with friends on most U.S. carriers.

“We’ve already seen overwhelming consumer response to the textPlus app in the Apple App Store thanks to the millions of consumers who’ve embraced our game-changing features – from casual texters to the staggering number of consumers who text as their primary mode of communication,” said Scott Lahman, CEO and co-founder of GOGII. “We’re pleased to make textPlus available to Android users, and offer even more text-happy mobile consumers this tricked-out, next generation texting service.”

By leveraging GOGII’s interactive messaging technology, textPlus allows both old-style texting – one-to-one conversations – and next generation texting – rich, engaging environments and instant group text conversations. A useful ‘reply-all’ feature, similar to email, turns texting into a chatroom that lets users make plans with several friends at once, introduce people to one another or just carry on a group conversation – all in text and all for free.

Additional features make it easy for Android texters to make textPlus their preferred SMS service, including the international ability to send free messages from abroad to friends in the U.S. using a U.S. 10-digit phone number and free Notifications when messages come into the app, even when closed. What’s more, textPlus lets Android users communicate with friends who aren’t using the app – they simply pay for texts through their existing carrier plan.

GOGII expects the textPlus Android app to be met with the same degree of consumer fervor on the Android Market that it has on the Apple App Store. To date, the textPlus app has already seen almost 3.5 million downloads, and over 350 million messages have been sent using the service since June. And while only the top 5% of applications in the Apple App Store reach 100,000 unique monthly visitors, textPlus exceeded that by over 7 times in its second month of release.

This truly makes my excuse to not go look at the Google Nexus One Phone that much harder. textPlus for the Android platform is to be released very soon now.

Hey GOGII, a Nokia N900 version soon perhaps? Please? Thanks Beth for the tip!

[ Links: GOGII, textPlus ] [ Related: Apple iPhone textPlus 2.1 Update ]