AT&T announces time for iPhone MMS availability Friday

[AppleInsider]

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.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[sheff]

A brand new feature for the iPhone!!!!!!! This is going to be revolutionary, we can now send and receive Pictures. Only ATT could deliver such awesome feature on such a short time scale. Thanks ATT.

[al_bundy]

it's amazing what apple comes up with. a way of sending pictures to another cell phone without email.

[Pooch]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

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?

[buckdutter]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

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.

[TenoBell]

An amazing way that costs money to send pictures of limited size to a limited number of devices.

Originally Posted by al_bundy

it's amazing what apple comes up with. a way of sending pictures to another cell phone without email.

[Dreadkid08]

Originally Posted by al_bundy

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

[skp_sr]

does anyone know (or care to speculate) if OS 3.1 will be required in any way shape or form to get the MMS feature?

or once the so called "itunes update to carrier profile" will force it in anyway?

thanks,
skp

[skp_sr]

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

[al_bundy]

Originally Posted by skp_sr

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

[Footloose301]

Originally Posted by Dreadkid08

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.

[TenoBell]

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.

Originally Posted by skp_sr

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

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by al_bundy

it's amazing what apple comes up with. a way of sending pictures to another cell phone without email.

Surely you jest.

[NonVendorFan]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

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.

[teckstud]

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.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

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?

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

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.

[teckstud]

What happened to the "free" text I was supposed to receive notifying me of this earth shattering revelation as reported yesterday by AI?

[NonVendorFan]

Originally Posted by teckstud

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.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

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!

[ghstmars]

The time i spent without mms, made me get used to using emails to send pics. I think ill stick to emails..... receiving them, from a dumbphone now that is a different story.

[TenoBell]

I'm sure MMS is extremely popular among middle school girls. Not so much for professionals over thirty.

Seeing as many email users have multiple email accounts along with the facebook account and twitter account. There is little need for MMS.

Originally Posted by teckstud

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.

[TenoBell]

Seeing as how multitasking has helped the Pre and the Blacberry set their app development platforms ablaze. I see your point why is Apple lagging so far behind? 75,000 apps is nothing in comparison to BlackBerry's hundreds of apps or Pre's tens of apps.

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

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.

[NonVendorFan]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

I'm sure MMS is extremely popular among middle school girls. Not so much for professionals over thirty.

Seeing as many email users have multiple email accounts along with the facebook account and twitter account. There is little need for MMS.

Tell that to Nokia. The largest phone manufacturer in the World. 80% of their phones don't have email but have MMS I'd call Bull Shit.

Apple tried to mold their users into what they think you need.

I'm a consumer, I know what I want and need in my products. I don't need Apple or Steve jobs to tell me.

[NonVendorFan]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Seeing as how multitasking has helped the Pre and the Blacberry set their app development platforms ablaze. I see your point why is Apple lagging so far behind? 75,000 apps is nothing in comparison to BlackBerry's hundreds of apps or Pre's tens of apps.

Google has more than 10,000 apps and lets face it they just have an Internet Browser and are a only a 5 year or so old company.

Apple has 30+ years behind them to one up them. Oh... wait. they didn't on any level as of todays market.

Hmmm. But hey, you got MMS. Be happy.

[TenoBell]

Simply because a phone is capable of MMS doesn't mean that most people are using it. I've never found any reports about worldwide MMS use. We do know that hundreds of billions of emails are sent worldwide over a year.

Every survey of the most used features on a smartphones, email is one of the top two most used functions on every survey. The primary reason for the success of the Blackberry is because of its email capability. What phone is successful because of its SMS/MMS capability?

Well luckily for you as a consumer you have hundreds of phones to choose from. Why are you so focused on this one?

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

Tell that to Nokia. The largest phone manufacturer in the World. 80% of their phones don't have email but have MMS I'd call Bull Shit.

Apple tried to mold their users into what they think you need.

I'm a consumer, I know what I want and need in my products. I don't need Apple or Steve jobs to tell me.

[NonVendorFan]

..... (deleted for name calling and adding nothing else to the conversation)

[TenoBell]

Soooo....... your logic is that since Apple only has 7.5x as many apps as Google and has only sold 40x more devices than Google, Apple isn't doing as good of a job as it could be doing?


I don't want MMS, email works perfectly fine for me, and its free.

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

Google has more than 10,000 apps and lets face it they just have an Internet Browser and are a only a 5 year or so old company.

Apple has 30+ years behind them to one up them. Oh... wait. they didn't on any level as of todays market.

Hmmm. But hey, you got MMS. Be happy.

[Rob55]

Meh. I could take MMS or leave it. Was always a non-issue for me.

[TenoBell]

The first time I recall being called Taco Bell was in the 4th grade in 1982.

Just in case you needed to gauge the originality of your wit. A 10 year old already made that joke 27 years ago.

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

Becuase you have never bothered to look up the facts. I'm not here to do your homework TacoBell but as long as your here, make yourself useful. I'd like an order of Nachos and 2 Burrito Supremes with hot sauce.

Thanks in advance.

[trumptman]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

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.

You Lie. Sorry, I just wanted to make you feel historic.

My phone is jailbroken and activatemms makes it work just fine.

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

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.

Jailbreak your phone. Go to cydia. Install activatemms. Be happy.

Originally Posted by TenoBell

I'm sure MMS is extremely popular among middle school girls. Not so much for professionals over thirty.

Seeing as many email users have multiple email accounts along with the facebook account and twitter account. There is little need for MMS.

Apparently you've never sent a MMS from your phone to your Facebook account. The photo goes right into your photos and the text becomes the photo caption. This is ridiculously common.

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Simply because a phone is capable of MMS doesn't mean that most people are using it. I've never found any reports about worldwide MMS use. We do know that hundreds of billions of emails are sent worldwide over a year.

Yes but some of us do not need to help Nigerian Presidents or need our penis enlarged. I'm sure email is actually very much a generational issue as you stated. However there are a hell of a lot of people under 30 that I have to still communicate with and so MMS helps.

Every survey of the most used features on a smartphones, email is one of the top two most used functions on every survey. The primary reason for the success of the Blackberry is because of its email capability. What phone is successful because of its SMS/MMS capability?

Well luckily for you as a consumer you have hundreds of phones to choose from. Why are you so focused on this one?

I would say many phones are now successful due to focusing on messaging. If you look at the number of phones advertised as "messaging phones" the numbers are quite high. SMS/MMS has gotten so popular it has basically driven the clamshell to extinction. Apple has done their part. There are now a zillion touch screen phones but in addition to that, there are just as many who have been redesigned to have qwerty keyboards and are sold for messaging.

[NasserAE]

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

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.

Didn't you say that you still have the $100 Apple store credit from the 1st gen iPhone?! This mean that you are already out of your contract since the the credit was for people who bought their iPhones before the price cut in early Sept 2007. Next time keep track of your claims

[TenoBell]

Originally Posted by trumptman

My phone is jailbroken and activatemms makes it work just fine.

I am not saying the iPhone is not capable because of hardware. There are SMS/MMS apps in the app store. The software Apple uses only uses 3g.

Apparently you've never sent a MMS from your phone to your Facebook account. The photo goes right into your photos and the text becomes the photo caption. This is ridiculously common.

I have the Facebook app on my phone, it works a lot better for sending pix to Facebook.

Yes but some of us do not need to help Nigerian Presidents or need our penis enlarged. I'm sure email is actually very much a generational issue as you stated. However there are a hell of a lot of people under 30 that I have to still communicate with and so MMS helps.

You guys always swing for the lowest common denominator. As though their is no texting spam.

I would say many phones are now successful due to focusing on messaging. If you look at the number of phones advertised as "messaging phones" the numbers are quite high. SMS/MMS has gotten so popular it has basically driven the clamshell to extinction. Apple has done their part. There are now a zillion touch screen phones but in addition to that, there are just as many who have been redesigned to have qwerty keyboards and are sold for messaging.

What phone is especially successful because of its superior SMS/MMS capability?

[NonVendorFan]

Originally Posted by NasserAE

Didn't you say that you still have the $100 Apple store credit from the 1st gen iPhone?! This mean that you are already out of your contract since the the credit was for people who bought their iPhones before the price cut in early Sept 2007. Next time keep track of your claims

I purchased the 3G on the promise of MMS, Background Apps. Al of which were Bullshit for the 3G and still is until Friday (unless you accept Pop ups for notification as background). I think their worse than browser advertising. You're in a meeting wih your phone on the desk and you get a text. Hey Honey come home for lunch for a nooner.

8 people in the room get to see you're getting lucky for lunch. Total Failure.

Keep track of your life. I've got mine in order.

[NasserAE]

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

I purchased the 3G on the promise of MMS, Background Apps. Al of which were Bullshit for the 3G and still is until Friday (unless you accept Pop ups for notification as background). I think their worse than browser advertising. You're in a meeting wih your phone on the desk and you get a text. Hey Honey come home for lunch for a nooner.

8 people in the room get to see you're getting lucky for lunch. Total Failure.

Keep track of your life. I've got mine in order.

So let me get this! You bought the 1st generation iPhone and based on what you've been saying you didn't like it. Then you went ahead and bought the 3G iPhone based on features that did not exist and were never promised and you complain about it?!

It seems to me that there is no order and no logic in your life at all

[trumptman]

Originally Posted by TenoBell

I am not saying the iPhone is not capable because of hardware. There are SMS/MMS apps in the app store. The software Apple uses only uses 3g.

Actually the Apple software does not only use 3g. All ActivateMMS does is make the Apple software work.

I have the Facebook app on my phone, it works a lot better for sending pix to Facebook.

I'm sure the experience is enjoyable as I have it on my phone as well. It doesn't change the fact that lots of folks send loads of MMS messages to Facebook daily with no problems.

You guys always swing for the lowest common denominator. As though their is no texting spam.

I've never gotten a piece of text spam.

What phone is especially successful because of its superior SMS/MMS capability?

What phone? What are you talking about? There are entire groups of phones now advertised as messaging phones. Just because one of them hasn't crushed all the others doesn't change the fact that there are loads of them out there.

[TenoBell]

Why are you trying to cast me as someone who only talks about the iPhone? In fact I've talked more about the importance of email to the Blackberry.

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

The 100 million phones out there that don't buy into Apple's upgrade every year or be left out policy.

There is more to mobile tech than they iPHone. In know it's hard for you to accept but it's not about "CURRENT FEATURES" MMS is a decade old and there are 10's of millions of phones that don't have email

You're an Apple user so you need it explained. It's not all about you.

[hill60]

it's too bad the Pre can't multitask like the iPhone can, I like consulting the Internet during phone calls without having to hang up and call back.

Originally Posted by TenoBell

Seeing as how multitasking has helped the Pre and the Blacberry set their app development platforms ablaze. I see your point why is Apple lagging so far behind? 75,000 apps is nothing in comparison to BlackBerry's hundreds of apps or Pre's tens of apps.

[TenoBell]

Originally Posted by trumptman

Actually the Apple software does not only use 3g. All ActivateMMS does is make the Apple software work.

There was MMS software for the iPhone before Apple provided it. I'm not sure why one would be needed to work with Apple's software.

I'm sure the experience is enjoyable as I have it on my phone as well. It doesn't change the fact that lots of folks send loads of MMS messages to Facebook daily with no problems.

Like I said I don't hang around middle school crowd. Most of my friends are grown ups with smartphones.

I've never gotten a piece of text spam.

This is probably an example of the entrepreneurial spirit in the US to exploit all means of making money. Text spam happens here.

What phone? What are you talking about? There are entire groups of phones now advertised as messaging phones. Just because one of them hasn't crushed all the others doesn't change the fact that there are loads of them out there.

Well every modern phone can send messages. That in itself isn't much of a marketing tactic. My point is that the Blackberry is marketed as a superior email device. That is an important function that is widely used.

[hill60]

What percentage don't have MMS either, the largest selling phone of all time (Nokia 11xx) didn't.

Judging by their average handset sale price of just over €30, I'd say it would be a lot.

I also think you'll find that most Nokia phones that are capable of MMS are also capable of rudimentary email, I'm calling you on that 80% number, I reckon you just made it up.

Originally Posted by NonVendorFan

Tell that to Nokia. The largest phone manufacturer in the World. 80% of their phones don't have email but have MMS I'd call Bull Shit.

Apple tried to mold their users into what they think you need.

I'm a consumer, I know what I want and need in my products. I don't need Apple or Steve jobs to tell me.