Apple authorizes MMS on the iPhone, but not for US users

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  • Reply 21 of 110
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NeilM View Post


    Because texting is quick, easy, efficient,



    I can speak much quicker than I can type (and I'm a pretty fast typist), especially when I can only use my thumbs for typing (god forbid the number pad typing). Speaking is also much easier to do when you're walking somewhere -- especially with the iPhone headphones. Texting is only more efficient than voice for short messages.
    Quote:

    cheap, works like push email even if your phone doesn't have email at all,



    Agreed.
    Quote:

    and unlike a phone call doesn't require real-time engagement by the recipient



    Neither does a voicemail message. And with visual voicemail, it's almost as easy to check as a text message.
    Quote:

    Furthermore it's often possible to send a text successfully even when voice capacity is overwhelmed.



    Agreed. I'm still a reluctant user of text messaging. If a conversation is going to take more than one or two messages back and forth, it's just plain more efficient to call.
    Quote:

    Oh and by the way: I am that old.



    So am I.
  • Reply 22 of 110
    ivladivlad Posts: 742member
    Apple is very smart. They gonna let Telis test it, then see how it will work and then make their own App for MMS. Its on the list of future features, but it will come little later.
  • Reply 23 of 110
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by w00master View Post


    I'm sorry, but this makes absolutely no sense. Nearly every AT&T Wireless phone has MMS and has a plan that accounts for MMS. Why wouldn't AT&T want MMS on the iPhone? This makes ZERO sense. Honestly, look at the evidence here. The REAL hold-up is APPLE not AT&T.



    I hate AT&T just like the next guy, but seriously place blame where blame is deserved.



    w00master



    Then why was tethering pulled from the app store? Many of AT&T's current phones support tethering, why was the iPhone singled-out?

    Maybe this image will help:

  • Reply 24 of 110
    Video takes up a lot of battery power. I think Apple was figuring out how to manage that so that the battery life for video is longer than other smart phones are at handling it.
  • Reply 26 of 110
    Coming for Norway to, as told by Netcom.no yesterday. We have been used to use MMS since last century, iPhone has been a giant step back for a lot Scandinavian users. But who cares as long as you have a greate phone
  • Reply 27 of 110
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    No MMS- no iPhone.

    Luv my Touch though.
  • Reply 28 of 110
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,673member
    The iPhone is perfectly capable of MMS texting, just as it is perfectly capable of tethering. The fact of the matter is, AT&T doesn't have a plan that allows either of these on the iPhone. (Although, AT&T is supposed to release a tethering plan soon, if it hasn't already.) That was probably a decision both Apple and AT&T made to try and make sure the options that were available worked without issue. The iPhone was and still is in its infancy (well an 800lb. infant gorilla anyway). It will continue to mature and hopefully features and options will be added.



    This issue has come up before and more than likely it relates to bandwidth issues and network congestion. With mobile Safari being able to render normal web pages, they were afraid of users wreaking havoc on the cell network, which if you all remember actually happened after all those shiny new iPhone 3Gs were sold in such a short amount of time. Add on top of that MMS texting and bandwidth hogging phone tethering and you're left with a fried network.



    I believe once AT&T gets the network up to speed to support all this data coming from all the iPhone users (and other 3G users) in the US, they will begin to offer more of the same options as other phones. Of course the monthly rates will go up and more people will whine about it, but at least the options will be there.



    For those of you quick to blame Apple, if this 3rd party developer and mobile provider in Sweden can offer up MMS without needing Apple's assistance (only blessing), why hasn't AT&T in the US?
  • Reply 29 of 110
    foo2foo2 Posts: 1,077member
    1. It is Apple standing in the way of MMS, because that pushes the market towards less cellular-centric technologies like e-mail and web where Apple can provide a more uniform experience across its entire product line.

    2. It is AT&T standing in the way of tethering, because they have committed to buying a boat load of cellular modems and they need to clear out that stock.
  • Reply 30 of 110
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Enigmafan420 View Post


    I am sort of in awe out of what a big deal is being made over this.



    Especially since AT$T would likely RAPE you for this "benefit" (see their 20 cent per a-la-carte SMS fee), this seems to be not a big deal.



    I have never understood the fascination with "texting" on a phone. A phone call is MUCH MORE EFFICIENT, unless the message is "bring milk home".



    And I am not THAT OLD-I just believe the whole market was created by cellular companies to pad their already huge rates of return.



    I'd say you don't get it because you've never used it. Sure, you can send emails but MMS and SMS started way before cells could pick up email. And even today most people have email and a cell but the two are not linked. Email on a phone entails email addresses, synching with Macs/PC etc. MOST people get a headache even thinking about that. So SMS is like email for mobiles, or more like a mix between email and chat. MMS is that, but with MM. And all you need is what you already have on your cell, phone numbers. And I'd argue that a phone call is not more efficient. Sometimes it is but often not. I often fire off an email just because I DON'T want to say hello, don't want to hear objections, don't need a discussion, don't want to lower the volume of my music, or plain just don't want to move my jaw. So, in order to evaluate SMS or MMS you first have to 'get it', get it?
  • Reply 31 of 110
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    I'd say you don't get it because you've never used it. Sure, you can send emails but MMS and SMS started way before cells could pick up email. And even today most people have email and a cell but the two are not linked. Email on a phone entails email addresses, synching with Macs/PC etc. MOST people get a headache even thinking about that. So SMS is like email for mobiles, or more like a mix between email and chat. MMS is that, but with MM. And all you need is what you already have on your cell, phone numbers. And I'd argue that a phone call is not more efficient. Sometimes it is but often not. I often fire off an email just because I DON'T want to say hello, don't want to hear objections, don't need a discussion, don't want to lower the volume of my music, or plain just don't want to move my jaw. So, in order to evaluate SMS or MMS you first have to 'get it', get it?



    Umm I actually have used it-see my post RE: T-Mobile above.



    I just no longer feel the need to pay for a "feature" that costs the TELCOs nothing to implement.
  • Reply 32 of 110
    Let me explain the importance of MMS, why it's not dead, whom uses it and why the iphone doesn't support it...



    MMS unlike SMS can send more characters, we all know that, but it can also send image (photos), audio, text and all of it can be combined for a "multi-media" experience. Effectively, creative people can create a presentation like "application" (VERY loose used) that can be sent very easily from a phone. Remember Hyber-Stack (which was just updated for the first time in over ten years!), where a student, teacher, common person could create a cool presentation that allowed for more then simply 1,2,3... this is MMS. A way that common people can create a presentation of information with knowing any programming. The importance of MMS is that while having all of the aspects (text,audio,video,photos,links) of flash, shockwave, etc it doesn't require any programming... simply click + and select media type, add to the existing page (slide) or to a new page. So easy even a cave man can do it!!!



    Why is MMS still around? The amount of international support for it is huge! Thus even mobiles here in the US have started supporting it as a common feature, something almost expected. And being that it is so easy to use, many people like it and it doesn't require a second form of contact details, it only requires the same number you use to call your friends.



    Who is using this crap!? Well let see, next time you are at a factory, construction site, or any of the millions upon millions of blue collar workers in the US and the rest of the world, ask them the following questions:



    Ask for an email address? A. Yes, I have one... www.aol.com! "No, your email address!" I told you www.aol.com... wait, my wife change it, yeah now I remember. It's www.hotmail.com.



    Now, ask if they now how to take a picture from their mobile. A. They look at you as if you are mocking them as a retard... OF COURSE I DO, WHO DOESN'T!



    Ask them if they know how to send a (special wording here) "text". A. Read response above, if asked in sequence don't be surprised if they become hostel, they think you are making fun of them.



    Ask them if they know how to send a (special wording here) "picture text"! A. 80% will reply. YES, I told you I know how to send text... adding a picture is the same!



    You see, sending an email is, well complicated to the millions of non-tech's out there. Many don't have email, don't want email and when they put a number in their phone that it how you contact their friends... So sending an image to their friend is simply sending a "picture text" versus having to get their friends mobile (cell phone) AND email address...



    Now with that, there aren't the same amount of people with mobiles that handle email correctly... to be honest, there aren't that many mobiles on the market that handle email correctly, period. MMS, an international standard is on more mobiles then email, facts are the facts. An example: I can be at a concert with friends, go backstage take a couple of photo's MMS it to all of them and they will get it right then, not when they get home back on email, assuming I have their updated email address. MMS is for the people that want to simply stay in touch with an know single point of contact, their mobile number.



    Now that is not to that everyone doesn't have email... that is a larger standard, we all know that, but there are many whom would prefer MMS over email because their mobile is what they have on them at all times, it's there, it's simply, and it works.



    Why doesn't the iPhone have MMS!? That is truly the mystery here... ATT doesn't want people to have easy access to sending photo, music, etc as it can not control what is sent. Apple knows email and SMS is an easy standard to program for. It is a known FACT that you CAN get MMS on a jail broken iPhone with SwirlyMMS (www.swirlyspace.com) and it is a known FACT that ATT has made it really hard on ATT users to configure their iPhone... where as, tmobile and others have made using SwirlyMMS a breeze, thus putting more of the blame on ATT then Apple. Now why wouldn't Apple want MMS on their iphone? Personally, it called Techno Bubble... they didn't realize the importance of MMS in the market place. They may have thought that MMS is like WAP, but it isn't.. Will we see MMS for the iphone? Hopefully but until them SwirlyMMS is the best and only solution.



    Looking forward to all of the replies...
  • Reply 33 of 110
    mjtomlinmjtomlin Posts: 2,673member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by w00master View Post


    I'm sorry, but this makes absolutely no sense. Nearly every AT&T Wireless phone has MMS and has a plan that accounts for MMS. Why wouldn't AT&T want MMS on the iPhone? This makes ZERO sense. Honestly, look at the evidence here. The REAL hold-up is APPLE not AT&T.



    I hate AT&T just like the next guy, but seriously place blame where blame is deserved.





    It's Apple. MMS is a revenue stream for AT&T, and nearly EVERY phone on AT&T's lineup has MMS.





    This isn't a joke, it's the truth. Go ahead, check out AT&T's phone lineup. Nearly ALL of them have MMS.



    So as I stated in my last post... If this 3rd party developer and mobile provider in Sweden can offer up MMS without needing Apple's assistance (only blessing), why hasn't AT&T in the US?



    Another point... Isn't phone tethering another lucrative option? Why doesn't AT&T offer that? Is Apple standing in the way of that as well? It's AT&Ts end user agreement that forbids tethering.



    So the argument of revenue stream doesn't hold up, because AT&T could stand to make a lot more money off of iPhone tethering plans.
  • Reply 34 of 110
    I'm not sure who it is, Apple or ATT. MMS is not a huge revenue market for ATT. With pretty much all TXT packages with other phones, MMS is included. So if you have the 100 txt plan, MMS would be included already.
  • Reply 35 of 110
    Now the tethering plans is where they really rape people.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mjtomlin View Post


    So as I stated in my last post... If this 3rd party developer and mobile provider in Sweden can offer up MMS without needing Apple's assistance (only blessing), why hasn't AT&T in the US?



    Another point... Isn't phone tethering another lucrative option? Why doesn't AT&T offer that? Is Apple standing in the way of that as well? It's AT&Ts end user agreement that forbids tethering.



    So the argument of revenue stream doesn't hold up, because AT&T could stand to make a lot more money off of iPhone tethering plans.



  • Reply 36 of 110
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Enigmafan420 View Post


    I am sort of in awe out of what a big deal is being made over this.

    (snip)

    I have never understood the fascination with "texting" on a phone. A phone call is MUCH MORE EFFICIENT, unless the message is "bring milk home".



    You are apparently assuming that people communicate in order to be efficient, quite a limiting world view. :-) Texting is more private and so feels more intimate than a phone call. You can text silently from a classroom or other situation where a phone call would be inappropriate. And you can hold a silent, real-time conversation, which you can't do with email. Does that help broaden your horizons a little? :-)
  • Reply 37 of 110
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by w00master View Post


    The problem is that MOST phones do not have email. Also, I'm tired of telling some of my friends and family who happen to have a phone with email to remember not to MMS me, but email me instead.



    How many times do they remember this?



    ZERO.





    w00master



    What backwards phones are you talking about. Phones had email (at least phones in Europe and the rest of the forward thinking cellular world) before there was MMS.
  • Reply 38 of 110
    cameronjcameronj Posts: 2,357member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by paxman View Post


    I'd say you don't get it because you've never used it. Sure, you can send emails but MMS and SMS started way before cells could pick up email. And even today most people have email and a cell but the two are not linked. Email on a phone entails email addresses, synching with Macs/PC etc. MOST people get a headache even thinking about that. So SMS is like email for mobiles, or more like a mix between email and chat. MMS is that, but with MM. And all you need is what you already have on your cell, phone numbers. And I'd argue that a phone call is not more efficient. Sometimes it is but often not. I often fire off an email just because I DON'T want to say hello, don't want to hear objections, don't need a discussion, don't want to lower the volume of my music, or plain just don't want to move my jaw. So, in order to evaluate SMS or MMS you first have to 'get it', get it?



    How about booty texting? Much more efficient than booty calling, especially if you're working on a list of a couple options and don't want to commit until you see who is in
  • Reply 39 of 110
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wealthychef View Post


    You are apparently assuming that people communicate in order to be efficient, quite a limiting world view. :-) Texting is more private and so feels more intimate than a phone call. You can text silently from a classroom or other situation where a phone call would be inappropriate. And you can hold a silent, real-time conversation, which you can't do with email. Does that help broaden your horizons a little? :-)



    Nope-you are never going to convince me-I am a College Grad-there is a reason phone calls (and text messages) are not appropriate in class-NOTHING is that important.



    I am not sure I would use it much even if it was FREE-to me it is no less rude when someone in a restaurant or movie theatre is typing away on their cell phones than it is to carry on a full blown conversation.
  • Reply 40 of 110
    paxmanpaxman Posts: 4,729member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Enigmafan420 View Post


    Umm I actually have used it-see my post RE: T-Mobile above.



    I just no longer feel the need to pay for a "feature" that costs the TELCOs nothing to implement.



    Sure, I agree. Hard to avoid though. I pay for the privilege of having voicemail - included in an option package. But I can only receive 3 messages. To be able to hold more I need to upgrade my extras package. When I asked what exactly they needed 10 extra dollars for, the sales guy gave me a load of vapor and finally came up with 'storage'. I told him I get several gb's from google for zero so why should I pay $10 per month to store max 10 paltry voice messages. He shrugged (what else could he do?) and I didn't pay. Two years and many frustrations with 'your mailbox is full', later - I am still pissed. My plan is up in Jan so guess what will be under the tree for me? Yup, a lovely new phone, a new plan and a whole new bunch of services that'll make me go to sleep at night grinding my teeth.
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