The use of free apps for iPhone and iPad to chat, video call and communicate with others is now one of the latest trends in the mobile world.

Fox News Latino reported about the growing popularity of video chat and instant messaging through the use of free apps for iPad and iPhones. The report cited a study made by Informa claiming that smartphone instant messaging using free apps is now the newest trend, outperforming the widely used forms of mobile communication through SMS or text messaging.

More and more mobile users seem unwilling to pay for expensive texting and call plans these days, opting to use free apps that provide them unlimited chances to chat, call, video chat and communicate for free with their friends and family, no matter what mobile device they have.

According to Informa, the messages coming from free chatting apps will double at the end of this year. Also, the study suggests that the number of chat messages sent will increase to 41 billion each day.

For those who are on the lookout for some of the most popular free apps for iPhone and iPad, below is a list of 5 free apps for instant messaging and video calling.

1. Skype - This is one of the most popular free apps for iPhone and iPad intended for online chatting and internet calling. Using the official free app of Skype will give users access to services such as instant chat, video call, photo sharing, mobile and landline calls and more.

2. IM+ Instant Messenger - Top 10 World website states that this is one of the best free apps for the iPad and iPhone, especially when it comes to chatting. Users can easily send text messages, videos, photos, group chats, video notes and more. 

3. WeChat - This is another one of the free apps that can be downloaded by iPhone and iPad users. This free chatting app now has more than 300 million members and it offers unique features and options to make chatting with iOS devices a lot easier.

4. Kik Messenger - This is one of the fastest rising free apps for chatting and video calling because of its simple yet very reliable user interface. The members of this free app for iPhone and iPad can instantly send messages, videos, photos, and sketches to their friends.

5. imo Instant Messenger - This free app for instant messaging supports other chat services such as Google Talk, MSN, ICQ/AIM, Yahoo, Skype, Myspace, Facebook and a  lot more. This is one of the most popular free apps for iPhone and iPad that offers a full-featured IM app like instant chat, group chat, photo and video sharing, push notifications and chat history.

Free apps for iPad, iPhone and other iOS devices can be downloaded from the Apple App Store.