AT&T announces time for iPhone MMS availability Friday
American iPhone users should see multimedia messaging features unlocked late in the morning Friday on the west coast by way of a carrier update file that will be delivered through iTunes, AT&T announced Wednesday.
"MMS Update: We know you?ve been eager for this service so we wanted to offer a quick update on the launch plans for MMS on Friday, Sept. 25," AT&T wrote on its official Facebook page. "Late morning, Pacific Time, on Friday, the new carrier settings update enabling MMS should be live and ready to download through iTunes. We?ll provide the steps and all of the details you need right here at that time."
That means east coast residents will likely see their update available sometime early Friday afternoon. It also confirms that an iTunes update to the phone's carrier profile will be necessary for MMS to be activated.
AT&T "very nervous"
A note published by DSLReports cited a source familiar with the company's MMS upgrade as saying, "Starting at 10AM Eastern (on the 25), AT&T will send out a mass text to a group of iPhone users telling them that MMS now works on their phone.
Assuming all goes well, "They will keep doing groups of phones on the hour throughout the day," the source said. Official word from company spokesman Seth Bloom said the upgrade would be targeted at early afternoon on the East Coast, or late morning for users on Pacific Time.
The source said AT&T was "very nervous" about the launch, due to seeing a surge in traffic from just a limited number of iPhone users selected to participate in advanced testing of the new service.
Working to keep up
Apple added MMS features to the iPhone as part of the 3.0 firmware update in July, but AT&T acted to opt iPhone users out of the service because it could not accommodate the anticipated demand it predicted iPhone users would require.
MMS allows users to send graphics, audio clips, location and contact files, and even video clips via an SMS-like messaging system. The new MMS features require an iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS.
Weeks ago, AT&T announced that MMS would be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G, but not the original iPhone, on Sept. 25. Tuesday, the nation's second-largest wireless carrier began sending out text messages to customers informing them of the upcoming change.
Picture and video messaging was originally scheduled to arrive in the summer, but will be a few days late. AT&T has said that iPhone data usage has been very taxing on its network, leading to delays as the company attempts to strengthen its service.
Originally, iPhone tethering was also announced for the summer, but AT&T officials have said that service is coming at a later date, with no specifics given. The company apparently has no intentions to cap bandwidth for iPhone users.
"MMS Update: We know you?ve been eager for this service so we wanted to offer a quick update on the launch plans for MMS on Friday, Sept. 25," AT&T wrote on its official Facebook page. "Late morning, Pacific Time, on Friday, the new carrier settings update enabling MMS should be live and ready to download through iTunes. We?ll provide the steps and all of the details you need right here at that time."
That means east coast residents will likely see their update available sometime early Friday afternoon. It also confirms that an iTunes update to the phone's carrier profile will be necessary for MMS to be activated.
AT&T "very nervous"
A note published by DSLReports cited a source familiar with the company's MMS upgrade as saying, "Starting at 10AM Eastern (on the 25), AT&T will send out a mass text to a group of iPhone users telling them that MMS now works on their phone.
Assuming all goes well, "They will keep doing groups of phones on the hour throughout the day," the source said. Official word from company spokesman Seth Bloom said the upgrade would be targeted at early afternoon on the East Coast, or late morning for users on Pacific Time.
The source said AT&T was "very nervous" about the launch, due to seeing a surge in traffic from just a limited number of iPhone users selected to participate in advanced testing of the new service.
Working to keep up
Apple added MMS features to the iPhone as part of the 3.0 firmware update in July, but AT&T acted to opt iPhone users out of the service because it could not accommodate the anticipated demand it predicted iPhone users would require.
MMS allows users to send graphics, audio clips, location and contact files, and even video clips via an SMS-like messaging system. The new MMS features require an iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS.
Weeks ago, AT&T announced that MMS would be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G, but not the original iPhone, on Sept. 25. Tuesday, the nation's second-largest wireless carrier began sending out text messages to customers informing them of the upcoming change.
Picture and video messaging was originally scheduled to arrive in the summer, but will be a few days late. AT&T has said that iPhone data usage has been very taxing on its network, leading to delays as the company attempts to strengthen its service.
Originally, iPhone tethering was also announced for the summer, but AT&T officials have said that service is coming at a later date, with no specifics given. The company apparently has no intentions to cap bandwidth for iPhone users.
Comments
iPhone users awaiting multimedia messaging capabilities in the U.S. should expect the new feature to be unlocked late in the morning Friday on the west coast, AT&T announced Wednesday.
so, what, for at&t that means tuesday?
Originally, iPhone tethering was also announced for the summer, but AT&T officials have said that service is coming at a later date, with no specifics given. The company apparently has no intentions to cap bandwidth for iPhone users.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
A legit no bandwidth cap would be awesome.
Won't take long for someone to start abusing it though.
it's amazing what apple comes up with. a way of sending pictures to another cell phone without email.
it's amazing what apple comes up with. a way of sending pictures to another cell phone without email.
hahaha WOW what planet have you been on? Apple didn't come up with that, that feature has been available on most phones for a while. Back in 2006 when I had a RAZR I could do that. Apple isn't being revolutionary in this instance they are catching up :P
or once the so called "itunes update to carrier profile" will force it in anyway?
thanks,
skp
it should not have even come down to a network issue. the limitations were in the iPhone OS, and once it was available in 3.0, it shoudl have just worked....no??? what am I missing?
people have been doing MMS all the while on blackberries, right?
~skp
i am still a bit perplexed about how MMS for an iPhone can be so different than using say a Blackberry.
it should not have even come down to a network issue. the limitations were in the iPhone OS, and once it was available in 3.0, it shoudl have just worked....no??? what am I missing?
people have been doing MMS all the while on blackberries, right?
~skp
People have been doing mms on almost every cheapo phone for years before the original iPhone came out. Steve jobs beind old enough to be a grandfather decreed the youngins are wrong and should use email. The teens kept on texting and mms'ing and jobs had to admit he was wrong
pics of microsoft's upcoming phone just leaked. Looks ugly but the teens will love it because it looks like it's made for constant texting
hahaha WOW what planet have you been on? Apple didn't come up with that, that feature has been available on most phones for a while. Back in 2006 when I had a RAZR I could do that. Apple isn't being revolutionary in this instance they are catching up :P
He was trying to be funny, not serious. It went right over your head.
i am still a bit perplexed about how MMS for an iPhone can be so different than using say a Blackberry.
it should not have even come down to a network issue. the limitations were in the iPhone OS, and once it was available in 3.0, it shoudl have just worked....no??? what am I missing?
people have been doing MMS all the while on blackberries, right?
~skp
it's amazing what apple comes up with. a way of sending pictures to another cell phone without email.
From what we've heard the iPhone uses a newer 3G only profile for MMS. That is the reason the original iPhone cannot use it.
What amazes me most about this pathetic update is that Apple screwed the original iPhone owners out of the update.
Free piece of crap non smart phones have had this ability for years.
Way to go Apple, stick it to the faithful user and make them upgrade their 2-3 year old phone for a feature that is a decade old.
The source said AT&T was "very nervous" about the launch, due to seeing a surge in traffic from just a limited number of iPhone users selected to participate in advanced testing of the new service.
This is a frkng joke.
As I said before- MMS pics , videos whatever all day long and crash that inept network once and for all.
What amazes me most about this pathetic update is that Apple screwed the original iPhone owners out of the update.
Free piece of crap non smart phones have had this ability for years.
Way to go Apple, stick it to the faithful user and make them upgrade their 2-3 year old phone for a feature that is a decade old.
Well why did you but that 1st generation piece of crappola in the first place? It's not as if you didn't know then it didn't have MMS, cut and paste, no video, etc, etc, etc? Why complain now- 3 years later? Splurge and buy a 3GS? Isn't that what Apple really wants you to do anyway?
An amazing way that costs money to send pictures of limited size to a limited number of devices.
It's faster - it's worth it. And it's extremely popular- that why Apple is finally bringing it. Apple says it's cool so now you should accept that.
BTW you have it backwards-more people have cell phone numbers than email mail accounts.
Well why did you but that 1st generation piece of crappola in the first place? It's not as if you didn't know then it didn't have MMS, cut and paste, no video, etc, etc, etc? Why complain now- 3 years later? Splurge and buy a 3GS? Isn't that what Apple really wants you do to anyway?
I won't pay for another iBone that can't multi task. What good is 75,000 apps when you have to run them one at a time.
Maybe by the time my contract expires you'll have a camera on your iPhone (sorry meant iPod Touch) and Apple will let you have Google Voice but with No Flash.
I'm tired of being thrown tid bits of last years crap for new upgrades. You're the rooms smart ass I'd think you'd have figured out, you're being hand fed Apple's Bull Shit.
I won't pay for another iBone that can't multi task. What good is 75,000 apps when you have to run them one at a time.
Maybe by the time my contract expires you'll have a camera on your iPhone (sorry meant iPod Touch) and Apple will let you have Google Voice but with No Flash.
I'm tired of being thrown tid bits of last years crap for new upgrades. You're the rooms smart ass I'd think you'd have figured out, you're being hand fed Apple's Bull Shit.
SSSHhhhhh!