AT&T activating MMS features early for some iPhone users
A variety of iPhone users are are reporting that new MMS features have been enabled on their handsets in advance of AT&T's official start date of September 25.
Apple added new MMS support to iPhone 3.0 to allow users to send pictures, video and audio recordings, contacts, or locations from Maps via 3G-capable iPhones. However, use of the new feature requires operator support.
AT&T, apparently afraid that millions of new iPhone 3.0 users would completely ransack its existing MMS service, reportedly decided to put opt-out service codes on all of its iPhone users' accounts until the company could beef up its network to accommodate the new demand.
In announcing its plans to enable the feature for iPhone users, AT&T explained, "It was important to give our customers a positive experience from day one. We support more iPhone customers than any other carrier in the world so we took the time necessary to make sure our network is ready to handle what we expect will be a record volume of MMS traffic. We truly appreciate our customers? patience and hope they'll understand our desire to get it right from the start."
Rather than turning on MMS service for millions of American iPhone users all at once, AT&T has been selectively activating users across the country. Once activated, iPhone 3G and 3GS users should see a new "Cellular Data Network" menu item within the General/Network page of the Settings app and a new camera icon within the Messages app for sending photos.
It's possible to install a modified carrier bundle for AT&T to activate MMS software features, but this does not necessarily result in functioning MMS. Without AT&T removing your opt out, MMS messages will queue up with a red exclamation icon as they fail to actually send.
Many users are reporting that there is no correlation between working MMS and either their installed software version, their carrier bundle version, their service or texting plan, or their geographic location. AT&T appears to turning on MMS for users at random to achieve a staggered release up to the September 25 deadline.
Apple added new MMS support to iPhone 3.0 to allow users to send pictures, video and audio recordings, contacts, or locations from Maps via 3G-capable iPhones. However, use of the new feature requires operator support.
AT&T, apparently afraid that millions of new iPhone 3.0 users would completely ransack its existing MMS service, reportedly decided to put opt-out service codes on all of its iPhone users' accounts until the company could beef up its network to accommodate the new demand.
In announcing its plans to enable the feature for iPhone users, AT&T explained, "It was important to give our customers a positive experience from day one. We support more iPhone customers than any other carrier in the world so we took the time necessary to make sure our network is ready to handle what we expect will be a record volume of MMS traffic. We truly appreciate our customers? patience and hope they'll understand our desire to get it right from the start."
Rather than turning on MMS service for millions of American iPhone users all at once, AT&T has been selectively activating users across the country. Once activated, iPhone 3G and 3GS users should see a new "Cellular Data Network" menu item within the General/Network page of the Settings app and a new camera icon within the Messages app for sending photos.
It's possible to install a modified carrier bundle for AT&T to activate MMS software features, but this does not necessarily result in functioning MMS. Without AT&T removing your opt out, MMS messages will queue up with a red exclamation icon as they fail to actually send.
Many users are reporting that there is no correlation between working MMS and either their installed software version, their carrier bundle version, their service or texting plan, or their geographic location. AT&T appears to turning on MMS for users at random to achieve a staggered release up to the September 25 deadline.
Comments
AT&T appears to turning on MMS for users at random to achieve a staggered release up to the September 25 deadline.
stagger on, At&t
MMS was for a different era.
For all the hoo-ha about MMS, my guess is that it won't get used all that much or often.
MMS was for a different era.
MMS is not for a "different era". There are millions of phones that use it and have used it for much longer than Apple even thought about putting out an iPod.
Not everyone has a smart phone and that will be the case for years to come.
Prior to 3.0 we had to email one YES 1 photo at a time. In my family there are two smart phones that have email out of 5 kids (and I'm 45).
Get off your fricking high horse and realize this has been missing for no reason other than AT&T & Apple's making AT&T'S network even worse. Now (if rumors are correct) you are stuck with AT&T for years.
Enjoy the new feature which is 15 years old and no multi-tasking operating system.
I'm out of my contract next July and can't wait to embrace Android. Yes, they only have 10,000 apps but they aren't all FLASH LIGHTS AND FART APPS.
For all the hoo-ha about MMS, my guess is that it won't get used all that much or often.
MMS was for a different era.
Get over your arrogance.
Now (if rumors are correct) you are stuck with AT&T for years.
Nooooo! It cannot be true! I want verizon behind my fart apps!!
For all the hoo-ha about MMS, my guess is that it won't get used all that much or often.
MMS was for a different era.
I was thinking the same thing ... I must be missing something though, what is the purpose?
For all the hoo-ha about MMS, my guess is that it won't get used all that much or often.
MMS was for a different era.
MMS did not exist in the last millenium. The first MMS message was sent in 2002. So yes its extremely relavent for the majority of users who want to send and receive pictures on their devices, especially if you wish to send them to someone whom you only have the phone number for. MMS is basically a multimedia SMS and will exist as long as we find SMS useful.
I'll definitely use it (I already have it), because my son, nieces and nephew don't have iPhones, but have picture messaging.
You can send emails to MMS and they can send MMS to email. I stopped using MMS years ago before the iPhone mainly because many times people I know don't turn on their MMS service to avoid carrier charges and because the ridiculous per message charge and size limit. Furthermore, email is universal, works across borders, and more people are using iPhones, BB, Androids, .. etc.
I was thinking the same thing ... I must be missing something though, what is the purpose?
Everyone you know has a smart phone right?
Then you are covered.
I have countless friends that still have RAZR's and whatever was popular in their day that send me pics of their kids, trips, etc in MMS (not everyone has disposable income and keep their phones until they just don't work anymore because they can't afford to upgrade to a plan that charges $30.00 per month for data.
Dumb phones (most of the phones sold on the planet) use MMS.
Get over your arrogance.
I don't think anantksundaram is arrogant to say the obvious, MMS is from a different era as are floppy disks and CDs (or soon will be). However, after reading your longer rant, also to anantksundaram, I now understand, so for that I thank you for the explanation about older phones. I never used a cell phone for anything but phone calls prior to my iPhone. So called smart phones drove me nuts as their UIs were so badly designed so I didn't bother with them hence had noooo idea what MMS was lol. It is a staggering leap to go from a pre smart phone straight to a computer in my pocket but I love it!
You can send emails to MMS and they can send MMS to email. I stopped using MMS years ago before the iPhone mainly because many times people I know don't turn on their MMS service to avoid carrier charges and because the ridiculous per message charge and size limit. Furthermore, email is universal, works across borders, and more people are using iPhones, BB, Androids, .. etc.
Again I'll repeat it.
Everyone in your life has email on their phone. You are covered. That is not the case with 85% of the phones that are being used.
Everyone you know has a smart phone right?
Then you are covered.
I have countless friends that still have RAZR's and whatever was popular in their day that send me pics of their kids, trips, etc in MMS (not everyone has disposable income and keep their phones until they just don't work anymore because they can't afford to upgrade to a plan that charges $30.00 per month for data.
Dumb phones (most of the phones sold on the planet) use MMS.
Yep, everyone I know has an iPhone, here in the US as well as friends and family in Europe, so i am covered thanks, but again thanks for the info.
I don't think anantksundaram is arrogant to say the obvious, MMS is from a different era as are floppy disks and CDs (or soon will be). However, after reading your longer rant, also to anantksundaram, I now understand, so for that I thank you for the explanation about older phones. I never used a cell phone for anything but phone calls prior to my iPhone. So called smart phones drove me nuts as their UIs were so badly designed so I didn't bother with them hence had noooo idea what MMS was lol. It is a staggering leap to go from a pre smart phone straight to a computer in my pocket but I love it!
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you can save files to your phone.
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you can load more than 1 non iPhone app at a time
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you have a Web Browser that allows 3rd party apps.
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you can edit documents and save them for a presentation for your next meeting.
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you don't have an iPhone and you have a Smart Phone. Techincally iPhones aren't even in the smart phone category.
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you can save files to your phone.
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you can load more than 1 non iPhone app at a time
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you have a Web Browser that allows 3rd party apps.
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you can edit documents and save them for a presentation for you next meeting.
You'll have a computer in your pocket when you don't have an iPhone and you have a Smart Phone. Techincally iPhones aren't even in the smart phone category.
Wow you are in an angry mood! Having been with Apple since 1978 you will have to forgive my bias
p.s. I use my iDisk to load any file from any of my Macs on my iPhone when ever I need them.
I only really want one app at a time on a screen that size as i am used to a pair of 30" ACDs for multiple apps, but the good news is any app is always where I left it so flipping between them is no problem.
I am happy with Safari for now and glad it precludes Flash!
I copy and paste together all sorts of stuff for meetings from web sites, mail and save them on a note pad and mail if required, simplistic for sure but I am sure it will get better over time. Hell I remember well having no copy and paste on a computer lol.
Wow you are in an angry mood! Having been with Apple since 1978 you will have to forgive my bias
I've used them for much longer than you have back to my first computer 512KE. I got smart and there is no Anger.
I was forced into the PC world when I grew up and had to use PC's to parse data files which introduced me to wonderful world of VB, which took me to SQL and that led to .Net which let to...
I can keep going. I have to deal with Macs becuase the company I work for is an advertising Agency. We are not even allowed wthin the same domain as the rest of our Corprate Network.
We have not made the leap to Snow Leapord and will not do so anytime in the near future.
We have to make a profit and can't afford an entire department that isn't on CS4 and has to print everday.
I'll give it as much time as we gave Vista. They are both that unstable with the testing we've done internally on our IT test machines.
I've used them for much longer than you have back to my first computer 512KE.
Just for clarrification I wasn't trying to get into a pissing contest on who is older
I've used them for much longer than you have back to my first computer 512KE. /QUOTE]
Just for clarrification I wasn't trying to get into a pissing contest on who is older
Just becuase this forum seems to think by putting a smiley face into your post you can slam someone and it makes the posting all right. It doesn't.
anantksundaram's comments were arrogant and normally are.