iMessage Brings Texting to iPod Touch and iPad Users

[MacRumors]

Apple today announced iMessage, a new messaging service for iOS 5 users called. The service promises unlimited SMS-esque messaging between iOS users on iPod touch devices, iPhones and iPads. iMessages can be text, photos, videos, locations or include contact data.





If it sounds like BBM, RIM's BlackBerry Messaging service, that's because, well, it sounds a lot like BBM actually -- and increases device lock-in as well. Users of iPads and iPod touch devices will get built-in text and picture messaging, unlimited and free, which is nice for parents who don't want to splurge on an iPhone for little Timmy, but still want him to be able to keep in touch with friends.

For iPhone users, iMessage will be built in to the standard text message window, so using it should be pretty seamless. Other features include group messaging, delivery and read receipts, typing notification and secure encryption. Of course, keeping with the sync via iCloud theme, users will be able to start a conversation on one device and finish it on another. No word yet if iMessage will be included in iChat for OS X Lion as well, but I wouldn't be surprised if it makes an appearance there as well.

Article Link: iMessage Brings Texting to iPod Touch and iPad Users

[rorschach]

I guess you'd address messages to their Apple ID like with Facetime if you're sending to an iPad or iPod touch?

[ChazUK]

My favourite bit of news today oddly enough. Could prove useful when my phone isn't handy and I want to text the missus.

Great feature.

[awadeee]

Originally Posted by rorschach

I guess you'd address messages to their Apple ID like with Facetime if you're sending to an iPad or iPod touch?

Yep.

Apple finally got BBM.

[nateo200]

Anyone think this is going to rape/abolish text messaging plans? Not like it matters since the carriers are going to get us with new data plans anyways just a thought. Everyone I know has an iPhone and if they don't they have an iPod touch or an iPad 3G.

[jud.stade]

Would it be safe to say that this will work to negate international txting fees? At least when you're on wifi?

[Merthyrboy]

Originally Posted by awadeee

Yep.

Apple finally got BBM.

Yeah exactly what I thought when I read the announcement but can come in very handy.

[Ducky21]

i have this already on my iphone, it's called google voice.

$3 jb extension integrates it into messaging app too.

[Kwill]

iOS device saturation is vast but I doubt iMessage that would supplant Twitter or SMS.

The big news is Twitter integration. I just hope the hashtag symbol will no longer require foraging through three keyboards.

[MrSingh]

Why didn't they just make iMessage the goto messaging app for everything iOS/OSX...just like they did re: video with FaceTime??? Those who still use iChat can carry-on doing so.

As a non-iChat user it would've been excellent getting all msgs that way...with an option to freeze related iOS or OSX device notifications if I happen to be using both devices at the same time and don't want to hear and see duplicate notifications.

Sometimes Apple really surprise me as to their oversights. What they should really do? Offer even PC-users free @me.com email addresses and let them FaceTime and iMessage with all us iOS-users, via free software. What will that do? Encourage them MASSIVELY to buy an iOS device so that their messaging needs are met nice and tidily, at the desktop or when out and about.

I really don't think that having FaceTime and iMessage available on a non-Apple desktop device will reduce sales of Apple's mobile devices, for obvious reasons. Likewise those who buy a Mac buy one for many reasons - FaceTime and iMessage on Windows systems certainly won't stop them from buying a Mac.

[Bertmg]

Several of my friends have iPhones or iPads, if I can text them using messaging this instead of SMS it can save me some hard earned cash from ATT

[aristotle]

Originally Posted by awadeee

Yep.

Apple finally got BBM.

*Sigh* People were ICQing and AIMing years before RIM even existed.

BBM was nothing original.

[scott523]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Too bad this would require users to use iOS devices, which chances of getting everyone on the boat are slim. Also, not everyone are able to offload messaging to Wi-Fi everywhere they go. Offloading messaging to 3G could be costly unless an unlimited or sufficient data plan is in place. Hopefully this can lower messaging rates that nearly costs a quarter without a messaging plan.

[nateo200]

Originally Posted by jud.stade

Would it be safe to say that this will work to negate international txting fees? At least when you're on wifi?

I don't think it would distiguish the connection you were sending over unless Apple made an effort to do so which I doubt. I really do think there are no strings attached. I'm just curious how it works though in terms of your number, if you can set it so you only receive through iMessage, etc.

Originally Posted by MrSingh

Why didn't they just make iMessage the goto messaging app for everything iOS/OSX...just like they did re: video with FaceTime??? Those who still use iChat can carry-on doing so.

That would be sick. Sometimes when I'm in my house I just want to grab my MacBook pro and sit down. If I could text from my MacBook pro and know my conversation would be synced with my iPhone that would be very nice. However I don't think we need to completely knock out carriers money scheme for texting yet

Originally Posted by scott523

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

Too bad this would require users to use iOS devices, which chances of getting everyone on the boat are slim. Also, not everyone are able to offload messaging to Wi-Fi everywhere they go. Offloading messaging to 3G could be costly unless an unlimited or sufficient data plan is in place. Hopefully this can lower messaging rates that nearly costs a quarter without a messaging plan.

All the kewl kidz use iPhonezzzz. No seriously around here if you don't have an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad its strange....also I was thinking about what you said about offloading messaging to 3G and you have to realize text does not use allot of data though I see where it could add up. My idea would be to put an exception in for iMessage but I don't think carriers are going to have any mercy for a competing messaging standard.

[HiRez]

And here is where the lack of user accounts is going to hurt, again. If I'm at work on my iPhone, and my wife is somewhere else with the iPad, it would be nice if I could send her a message. But I can't because our iPad is tied to my account, so I'd have to send a message to myself. Yeah, I know, "buy another iPad". Well, that's complete crap. As it stands, I probably will be buying an iPad 2, but I don't want one iPad to be "mine", and one to be "hers", I just want to grab one of them at any time and have it become "mine" while I'm using it. Phones are OK to be single-user because they're generally tied to one person, and carried by one person, anyway. Desktops/laptops already have multi-user accounts. Tablets need them.

Disappointed to not hear anything on this front for iOS5 (let me know if I missed that!).

[WannaGoMac]

I don't get the appeal of these type of apps. Great, so I have to now figure out which of my friends are currently using an iOS device. Meanwhile, use SMS and I know it reaches them no matter what device they are using.

[matthew12]

Originally Posted by Bertmg

Several of my friends have iPhones or iPads, if I can text them using messaging this instead of SMS it can save me some hard earned cash from ATT

Or you can use Textfree on a 4th Gen iPod Touch (or newer, eventually) and do phone calls and texts!

[dammyonline]

i-messaging
mmm It's pretty much got all the features of Whatsapp messaging (which is a pretty good app). The one difference...I can use whatsapp to chat with my blackberry friends...something I doubt this app will ever accommodate......oh well

[Xenious]

So can you set priority? The unlimited TXT plan is 20$/mo, but you're already paying for the data plan no matter what. That savings of not paying for a TXT plan would add up plus we could all show AT&T for overcharging for TXTs. Ideally it would always try data first when sending to another iOS device (wifi then 3g data) and if neither were acceptable default to SMS or MMS. Or even just let the user set a priority (wifi, SMS, 3g).

[caspersoong]

Finally. I was starting to feel left out by Apple. Now, Apple is bringing iPod touch users back into the fold.

[nateo200]

Originally Posted by Xenious

So can you set priority? The unlimited TXT plan is 20$/mo, but you're already paying for the data plan no matter what. That savings of not paying for a TXT plan would add up plus we could all show AT&T for overcharging for TXTs. Ideally it would always try data first when sending to another iOS device (wifi then 3g data) and if neither were acceptable default to SMS or MMS. Or even just let the user set a priority (wifi, SMS, 3g).

User set priority would be god like!

[Jjaro]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)

I just hope that the service will eventually be rolled into standard texting with carriers so I can text any phone from my iPad or computer. That would be cool too.

[Vertigo50]

Saying that everyone needs to get an iPhone is somewhat correct, but think of it this way:

Your friend is using another phone and paying $20 a month extra for texting.

If they switch to an iPhone, they may pay a little more for the data than their current phone, but they can get by without the extra for texting.

All of a sudden the monthly cost of an iPhone just got a little more justified.

[iRobby]

I welcome this but will still have to keep WhatsApp for my friend in Germany to get free texting to him

[theBB]

Originally Posted by scott523

Too bad this would require users to use iOS devices, which chances of getting everyone on the boat are slim. Also, not everyone are able to offload messaging to Wi-Fi everywhere they go. Offloading messaging to 3G could be costly unless an unlimited or sufficient data plan is in place. Hopefully this can lower messaging rates that nearly costs a quarter without a messaging plan.

It sends SMS if no other option is available according to leaked screenshots. The friend without an iPhone can get SMS, so as the one who has turned off 3G. I doubt the data required for these messages are gonna be all that much unless you are sending large images.