Global usage of MMS comprised only 2.5% of all messages sent worldwide. That's not exactly "heavy usage" as you so described for a technology that is 6-7 years old. But the reason is obvious, MMS is only a protocol for sending data (and not a very good one at that); it says absolutely nothing about the capabilities of the handsets that are sending and receiving, and nothing about the networks that are responsible for relaying and recoding that data so that recipients can actually see it. For example, if someone shoots a 3GP-based video on their device and then sends it to an iPhone recipient, how is the iPhone going to handle the decoding of that video? As far as I know, the iPhone does not have a 3GP codec, which means that AT&T's MMSC is going to have to be responsible for ensuring that the data is recoded to an appropriate format like H.264.
The same goes with photos. My iPhone captures images at nearly 3 megapixels; how does that scale down when sent to something like a Motorola RAZR which has limited screen real estate and not-so-powerful image processing capabilities?
At the end of the day, it's easy to see just why MMS has not taken off worldwide. Too many variables to deal with. And while there are many phones other than the iPhone that can handle its various MMS data, it's still hit and miss between carriers and incompatible devices. There's just no way to send an MMS with 100% confidence that the recipient will be able to see your message as intended.
Lastly, when people hear "MMS", they immediately think "photos" when it's capable of more than that. Video is obviously one example, but you also can MMS audio clips (from the Voice Memo app), contact cards (convenient when sharing contact info), and map locations. None of this is earth-shattering in its own right, but Apple could easily have stopped at a basic implementation of photo and video messaging only, but instead, extended the capabilities beyond that, making use of all the available functions of the iPhone platform. I think that's a good sign for users.
I agree that MMS-like capabilities are not a passing fad; on the contrary, I think people are much better served with these quick and easy ways to send data to other phones. However, I do think that MMS as a protocol is terrible and I sincerely hope that as the industry moves towards 4G they find a better way to handle that type of data.
Lastly, when people hear "MMS", they immediately think "photos" when it's capable of more than that. Video is obviously one example, but you also can MMS audio clips (from the Voice Memo app), contact cards (convenient when sharing contact info), and map locations. None of this is earth-shattering in its own right, but Apple could easily have stopped at a basic implementation of photo and video messaging only, but instead, extended the capabilities beyond that, making use of all the available functions of the iPhone platform. I think that's a good sign for users.
Anyone besides me having issues with successful MMS picture sends? Since applying the update and restarting my iPhone, I have attempted to send pix somewhere around 10 times, and only 1 of the 10 times did the pic go through successfully. I am using a 3G iPhone, but am currently residing in an Edge-only area. Perhaps that could be the problem? Although it did go through successfully once. Hopefully, AT&T can get its act together, and pronto, or there will be a lot of ticked off iPhone users, assuming that others are having similar issues.
The message will show the pic inside the chat balloon, and the Send bar will first flow quite fast from left to right across the top of the chat window, but it then grinds to a halt with about the last 1/10th of the bar left, and just stalls out indefinitely until finally, I get the red exclamation mark with the "Send Error" attached. Urrgh.
Yep. Im 0 for 5. Spent an hour on the phone with AT&T & apple to no resolve. They had me restore my phone. Didn't work. Typical AT&T
Those AT&T jerks wouldn't update my phone for MMS in AT&T store today , said they couldn't cause they didn't have recent iTunes. Then they kept insisting it was an Apple update not their own.
NO maybe it's because like there is not one phonenumber that takes MMS at a TV station.
If only there was a way that a TV station could have a cellphone attached to a computer so they could MMS video off of it instead of relying on the phone owner to copy it and email it over, thu potentially losing the story or being late with it. Oh yeah, the thing I just said.
MMS is included in your text plan if you have one.
What I'd like to know is if I can update my phone using my work computer without "syncing" it to that computer. I sold my previous MacBook Pro and my new 13" MBP is scheduled to be delivered on Monday. We're going on a trip this weekend and it would be fun to the MMS capability to play with while on the trip.
You can use any itunes account. Just connect and hit check for update. Don't sync, just update and eject.
Actually, you're wrong. http://www.macworld.com/article/1429...ms_iphone.html The research from ABI is a paid-for publication, but the MacWorld article cites the relevant numbers......... I sincerely hope that as the industry moves towards 4G they find a better way to handle that type of data.
Superb, fact-based, sober post. Thanks. (But it is the kind that is wasted on those here who prefer opinions to facts).
It's not part of the DATA plan. It is separate. It's called the MESSAGING MMS/SMS plan. I have it- cost $15 more per month for unlimited MMS/SMS.
No to the previous, No its not part of the data plan and no you dont have unlimited for 1500 minutes.
Here's how the plans/MMS works:
Any Standard Voice Minutes Plan (450, 900, 1350 or unlimited minutes-- or a family plan)
+$30 PDA/Smartphone/Iphone DATA plan (unlimited emails/internet/downloads)
+$5 (200 messages), $15 (1500 messages), $20 (unlimited- one phone) or $30 (unlimited family plan) for a messaging plan-- A picture/standard text both count as 1 message.. so a picture message would count the same as a text message.
You could also forgo the messaging plan and pay per message-- but the data plan is required on the iphone. For more information, pick up the little brouchure at an AT&T/Apple Store.
I don't think it's appropriate to call something that's been heavily used for the past 6 or 7 years a "passing fad."
MMS isn't popular. It's unpopular. People who like it are using the myth that it's popular to get adoption.. The numbers are known. Very small percentage.
Since it's introduction in 2002, MMS messages have always been able to be sent to an email address.
Zero for two. MMS has been sent to phones that were MMS capable. Is it really that hard being correct.
Did I speak english well enough for you, and you are still wrong about MMS and SMS being similar. MMS are measured via data traffic specs unless you have discovered some other method.
Zero for two. MMS has been sent to phones that were MMS capable. Is it really that hard being correct.
Did I speak english well enough for you, and you are still wrong about MMS and SMS being similar. MMS are measured via data traffic specs unless you have discovered some other method.
Were you sending those MMS to other iPhone users on AT&T's 3G network (not in EDGE coverage) that already have today's update? I'm just curious because I'm still skeptical about MMS working across networks AND devices. It would be one thing for one carrier to properly hand off the message to another carrier, and then you have to add in consideration for the recipient's phone itself. That's a lot of variables where things can go wrong.
And on another note, I sent an MMS message to a friend's iPhone on AT&T 3G who did NOT have the AT&T 5.5 carrier file and they did not receive anything whatsoever. I had sent a photo + some text and no part of the message arrived on their phone. That's interesting to me, because it's still not clear how AT&T handles messages sent to iPhones that are MMS-capable because of the OS 3.0 software, but who haven't updated the carrier file to AT&T 5.5.
As an early adopter of MMS I used to send MMS to email addresses all the time until other people started getting MMS capable phone's it was the only option, why don't you try it.
Instead of entering a phone number in the 'to' field when composing an MMS enter an email address instead, use any MMS capable phone you want.
Sending an MMS to an email address usually has a better success rate than sending to a phone number, especially to oversea's recipients or those on other networks.
So of the total number of messages sent, you don't think that MMS only makes up a small percentage as compared to SMS...
...mmmkay 0_o
Quote:
Originally Posted by sapporobabyrtrns
Zero for two. MMS has been sent to phones that were MMS capable. Is it really that hard being correct.
Did I speak english well enough for you, and you are still wrong about MMS and SMS being similar. MMS are measured via data traffic specs unless you have discovered some other method.
Zero for two. MMS has been sent to phones that were MMS capable. Is it really that hard being correct.
Did I speak english well enough for you, and you are still wrong about MMS and SMS being similar. MMS are measured via data traffic specs unless you have discovered some other method.
In the UK MMS are counted as messages, not data, you can see the facts here :-
Comments
I don't think it's appropriate to call something that's been heavily used for the past 6 or 7 years a "passing fad."
Actually, you're wrong. http://www.macworld.com/article/1429...ms_iphone.html The research from ABI is a paid-for publication, but the MacWorld article cites the relevant numbers.
Global usage of MMS comprised only 2.5% of all messages sent worldwide. That's not exactly "heavy usage" as you so described for a technology that is 6-7 years old. But the reason is obvious, MMS is only a protocol for sending data (and not a very good one at that); it says absolutely nothing about the capabilities of the handsets that are sending and receiving, and nothing about the networks that are responsible for relaying and recoding that data so that recipients can actually see it. For example, if someone shoots a 3GP-based video on their device and then sends it to an iPhone recipient, how is the iPhone going to handle the decoding of that video? As far as I know, the iPhone does not have a 3GP codec, which means that AT&T's MMSC is going to have to be responsible for ensuring that the data is recoded to an appropriate format like H.264.
The same goes with photos. My iPhone captures images at nearly 3 megapixels; how does that scale down when sent to something like a Motorola RAZR which has limited screen real estate and not-so-powerful image processing capabilities?
At the end of the day, it's easy to see just why MMS has not taken off worldwide. Too many variables to deal with. And while there are many phones other than the iPhone that can handle its various MMS data, it's still hit and miss between carriers and incompatible devices. There's just no way to send an MMS with 100% confidence that the recipient will be able to see your message as intended.
Lastly, when people hear "MMS", they immediately think "photos" when it's capable of more than that. Video is obviously one example, but you also can MMS audio clips (from the Voice Memo app), contact cards (convenient when sharing contact info), and map locations. None of this is earth-shattering in its own right, but Apple could easily have stopped at a basic implementation of photo and video messaging only, but instead, extended the capabilities beyond that, making use of all the available functions of the iPhone platform. I think that's a good sign for users.
I agree that MMS-like capabilities are not a passing fad; on the contrary, I think people are much better served with these quick and easy ways to send data to other phones. However, I do think that MMS as a protocol is terrible and I sincerely hope that as the industry moves towards 4G they find a better way to handle that type of data.
Lastly, when people hear "MMS", they immediately think "photos" when it's capable of more than that. Video is obviously one example, but you also can MMS audio clips (from the Voice Memo app), contact cards (convenient when sharing contact info), and map locations. None of this is earth-shattering in its own right, but Apple could easily have stopped at a basic implementation of photo and video messaging only, but instead, extended the capabilities beyond that, making use of all the available functions of the iPhone platform. I think that's a good sign for users.
.
thanks I forgot about the other useages.
The message will show the pic inside the chat balloon, and the Send bar will first flow quite fast from left to right across the top of the chat window, but it then grinds to a halt with about the last 1/10th of the bar left, and just stalls out indefinitely until finally, I get the red exclamation mark with the "Send Error" attached. Urrgh.
Yep. Im 0 for 5. Spent an hour on the phone with AT&T & apple to no resolve. They had me restore my phone. Didn't work. Typical AT&T
Those AT&T jerks wouldn't update my phone for MMS in AT&T store today , said they couldn't cause they didn't have recent iTunes. Then they kept insisting it was an Apple update not their own.
Maybe that's why the TV stations say if you catch a video of breaking news EMAIL it to us.
NO maybe it's because like there is not one phonenumber that takes MMS at a TV station. CNN has posted
many a MMSvideo of Katrina, tsunami, Bhutto assasination and on and on. Let's get with the program now- oK?
NO maybe it's because like there is not one phonenumber that takes MMS at a TV station.
If only there was a way that a TV station could have a cellphone attached to a computer so they could MMS video off of it instead of relying on the phone owner to copy it and email it over, thu potentially losing the story or being late with it. Oh yeah, the thing I just said.
MMS is included in your text plan if you have one.
What I'd like to know is if I can update my phone using my work computer without "syncing" it to that computer. I sold my previous MacBook Pro and my new 13" MBP is scheduled to be delivered on Monday. We're going on a trip this weekend and it would be fun to the MMS capability to play with while on the trip.
You can use any itunes account. Just connect and hit check for update. Don't sync, just update and eject.
x=SMS traffic
y=MMS traffic
y= (a very small percentage)x
It makes up zero percent actually as an MMS is not an SMS, thus not part of SMS traffic. You would see an MMS in data traffic stats.
NO maybe it's because like there is not one phonenumber that takes MMS at a TV station. CNN has posted
many a MMSvideo of Katrina, tsunami, Bhutto assasination and on and on. Let's get with the program now- oK?
Actually, you're wrong. http://www.macworld.com/article/1429...ms_iphone.html The research from ABI is a paid-for publication, but the MacWorld article cites the relevant numbers......... I sincerely hope that as the industry moves towards 4G they find a better way to handle that type of data.
Superb, fact-based, sober post. Thanks. (But it is the kind that is wasted on those here who prefer opinions to facts).
It's not part of the DATA plan. It is separate. It's called the MESSAGING MMS/SMS plan. I have it- cost $15 more per month for unlimited MMS/SMS.
No to the previous, No its not part of the data plan and no you dont have unlimited for 1500 minutes.
Here's how the plans/MMS works:
Any Standard Voice Minutes Plan (450, 900, 1350 or unlimited minutes-- or a family plan)
+$30 PDA/Smartphone/Iphone DATA plan (unlimited emails/internet/downloads)
+$5 (200 messages), $15 (1500 messages), $20 (unlimited- one phone) or $30 (unlimited family plan) for a messaging plan-- A picture/standard text both count as 1 message.. so a picture message would count the same as a text message.
You could also forgo the messaging plan and pay per message-- but the data plan is required on the iphone. For more information, pick up the little brouchure at an AT&T/Apple Store.
I don't think it's appropriate to call something that's been heavily used for the past 6 or 7 years a "passing fad."
MMS isn't popular. It's unpopular. People who like it are using the myth that it's popular to get adoption.. The numbers are known. Very small percentage.
http://www.pcworld.com/businesscente...s_network.html
Since it's introduction in 2002, MMS messages have always been able to be sent to an email address.
Zero for two. MMS has been sent to phones that were MMS capable. Is it really that hard being correct.
Did I speak english well enough for you, and you are still wrong about MMS and SMS being similar. MMS are measured via data traffic specs unless you have discovered some other method.
Zero for two. MMS has been sent to phones that were MMS capable. Is it really that hard being correct.
Did I speak english well enough for you, and you are still wrong about MMS and SMS being similar. MMS are measured via data traffic specs unless you have discovered some other method.
Were you sending those MMS to other iPhone users on AT&T's 3G network (not in EDGE coverage) that already have today's update? I'm just curious because I'm still skeptical about MMS working across networks AND devices. It would be one thing for one carrier to properly hand off the message to another carrier, and then you have to add in consideration for the recipient's phone itself. That's a lot of variables where things can go wrong.
And on another note, I sent an MMS message to a friend's iPhone on AT&T 3G who did NOT have the AT&T 5.5 carrier file and they did not receive anything whatsoever. I had sent a photo + some text and no part of the message arrived on their phone. That's interesting to me, because it's still not clear how AT&T handles messages sent to iPhones that are MMS-capable because of the OS 3.0 software, but who haven't updated the carrier file to AT&T 5.5.
SMS messages sent in December 2008 - 7.7 billion
MMS messages sent in December 2008 - 56.75 million
We sent 135 times more SMSs messages than MMS messages.
Plus in the UK an SMS on the iPhone O2 tariffs counts as 4 or your inclusive SMS messages.
So 500 included SMS messages = 125 MMS messages.
Instead of entering a phone number in the 'to' field when composing an MMS enter an email address instead, use any MMS capable phone you want.
Sending an MMS to an email address usually has a better success rate than sending to a phone number, especially to oversea's recipients or those on other networks.
So of the total number of messages sent, you don't think that MMS only makes up a small percentage as compared to SMS...
...mmmkay 0_o
Zero for two. MMS has been sent to phones that were MMS capable. Is it really that hard being correct.
Did I speak english well enough for you, and you are still wrong about MMS and SMS being similar. MMS are measured via data traffic specs unless you have discovered some other method.
Zero for two. MMS has been sent to phones that were MMS capable. Is it really that hard being correct.
Did I speak english well enough for you, and you are still wrong about MMS and SMS being similar. MMS are measured via data traffic specs unless you have discovered some other method.
In the UK MMS are counted as messages, not data, you can see the facts here :-
http://www.text.it/mediacentre/press...76792676426D0C
Since it's introduction in 2002, MMS messages have always been able to be sent to an email address.
How does that negate the use of MMS VIDEO as a relevant source of information? Ans: IT DOESNT