MMS active!?

[GTiPhone]

Just got a text message from At&t saying that my messaging package now includes picture messaging and no action required..........?

WHAT?

[mcdj]

Well do you see an option to send an MMS on the phone or what?

[GTiPhone]

No, the phone itself has not been updated, but it says that my unlimited messaging plan now includes text, picture and instant messaging. No action required.

^ word for word...ive been checking for an update through iTunes once every 15 seconds, lol.

[~Phi]

That would be fantastic if MMS is now active!

[fishkorp]

your iPhone data plan always included picture messaging. just pop your SIM in any MMS capable phone and it'll work for no extra fee.

[GTiPhone]

Well considering I did NOT change the SIM.......



This is a very interesting thing to suddenly change. Text, Picture, and Instant Messaging.

Very odd, why would text messaging have anything to do with instant messaging (that would use regular data.)

[sanford]

Originally Posted by GTiPhone

Just got a text message from At&t saying that my messaging package now includes picture messaging and no action required..........?

WHAT?

Woah! Okay, I haven't gotten a notification yet, but that doesn't mean anything. Some people got the simplified billing SMS before me, some after. Could mean a couple things: one, could mean AT&T is enabling MMS as part of your free, included SMS messages on any SMS package or plan -- iPhone or no iPhone. Although, as I recall, the non-iPhone Nation plans don't include any free SMS at all; still, though, the way they break down iPhone plans internally, even though they are advertised at a single rate, is your Nation plan+200 SMS package+unlimited data plan=advertised iPhone rate price.

Or, it could be the Apple firmware update has MMS. It would require a firmware update, I'm almost sure, as the send-photo function won't let you send to a phone number -- there's no option for it. Of course could mean the firmware update is even more imminent, or just that they are prepping for it. MMS could be there. A lot of features are known from Jobs carrying those updated iPhones around London, but nobody took a picture of the send-photo options screen. So it's not like it definitely *wasn't* there, even though they still could have added it since, it's that no one looked -- or if they did, they never said they saw it.

[GTiPhone]

If other users begin to receive this message, my thoughts are that something more is coming with the new firmware update.

Specifically MMS and iChat.


My text plan is unlimited and according to the message, those features would be also unlimited, included in the price.

Plus, my plan and all plans are iPhone specific anyway, so I can't imagine that this was a general message to AT&T users......and if it was, its HUGE announcement....
"We've just decided to give this to everyone, FREE"

[sanford]

Originally Posted by GTiPhone

My text plan is unlimited and according to the message, those features would be also unlimited, included in the price.

Yeah, that's the case for a feature firmware upgrade for iPhone. Whether you have 200, 400, unlimited, whatever included text messages with your plan, they've all always included MMS for free on any device that supports them. It's just the iPhone hasn't support them. This is no change for AT&T plans, but it would be a change for the iPhone.

Would be interesting -- I'm certainly not counting on this -- if they held this notice until today because they plan to release the new firmware today. Obviously Apple and AT&T work together, but it still wouldn't mean AT&T didn't accidentally jump the gun by a few days or a week.

[GTiPhone]

I'm trying not to get my hopes up either but it does sound indicative to me of a major update later this afternoon..

[sanford]

Originally Posted by GTiPhone

I'm trying not to get my hopes up either but it does sound indicative to me of a major update later this afternoon..

Yeah, man. And then we can all stop fighting over it from our separate little forts of blaming one another for delays for which the real reason behind the cause -- if it even *is* a delay and not a planned date -- we can only speculate.

I've always thought it's weird to release a major update to anything right before the weekend when support is often closed. But there's also a certain kind of logic behind it. If something is really wrong, there's a shakedown period of more than 48 hours for lots of people to update and see just what percentage are affected. Also there's the same period to page in the engineers to try and figure it out, so when support does get deluged with calls Monday morning, they can at least say they're aware of the problem or even have a workaround or notice of forthcoming fix. I guess a pre-weekend release is weird from the customer's viewpoint but not from the company's.

And, hey, I hate to motivate your hopes, but unless it's SNAFU on AT&T's part, it's a problem to start blasting out these texts to iPhone customers unless the firmware update that supports it is coming today, because Apple Support and Apple Stores are going to be getting a huge call volume of average customers saying, Hey AT&T just sent me a message telling me I can do MMS on my iPhone right this minute for free, but I can't figure out how to do it, so tell me how.

Be interesting to see if the rest of us get the SMS within the next several hours. If we don't, we can figure AT&T may have messed up, Apple caught them and stopped them from sending out the rest of them until they are closer to releasing the update.

We shall see.

[yoman]

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. I would personally enjoy to message an occasional picture to some of my family/friends who don't have an email capable phone.

[KittyToy]

funny how I went to check my AT&T bill this morning and I had a charge for 75.00 for messages, i call AT&T they said it's cause I sent MMS messages, I Was like i have an iPhone it Can't send MMS , needless to say they gave me my credit.....but I still don't trust anything AT&T says.... so if this is true I will wait till I hear the horror stories before I actually use it.

[GTiPhone]

Im going on the ATT and Apple websites now, trying to get some answers from support.

[aristobrat]

Originally Posted by GTiPhone

Im going on the ATT and Apple websites now, trying to get some answers from support.

I hope you have good luck, but those seem to be the bottom folks on the "here's some new information that you should know because your customers will be asking you" totem pole.

[sanford]

Originally Posted by aristobrat

I hope you have good luck, but those seem to be the bottom folks on the "here's some new information that you should know because your customers will be asking you" totem pole.

Worth a shot, to see if they stammer and mumble or have a good lie ready at hand.

Still no notice here. Had my wife check her iPhone, too, and none there either. But they always seem to roll out mass AT&T SMSs in waves to keep system load under control, and they probably group those waves by account number, and we're on the same account -- so I would expect her to her notice about the same time I get mine.

[sanford]

Originally Posted by KittyToy

funny how I went to check my AT&T bill this morning and I had a charge for 75.00 for messages, i call AT&T they said it's cause I sent MMS messages, I Was like i have an iPhone it Can't send MMS , needless to say they gave me my credit.....but I still don't trust anything AT&T says.... so if this is true I will wait till I hear the horror stories before I actually use it.

Hmm. Makes you wonder if that's random or it's because you sent SMS messages and they got billed as over-plan MMS messages because of the process of changing over iPhone plans to support included MMS.

(Just check and my account balance is as expected. But I haven't sent or received an SMS in forever.)

[GTiPhone]

Originally Posted by sanford

(Just check and my account balance is as expected. But I haven't sent or received an SMS in forever.)

You should, with unlimited its a lot cheaper than making calls during the day.

Does anyone know how to get to live chat support on either apple or att's websites? I used to use it on Apple.com all the time and now I can;t find it??????????

[GTiPhone]

Listen Up Everyone

I'm sorry to burst the bubbles that I'm responsible for blowing up, but I want everyone to know the answer I got out of AT&T customer care.

They said that text message I was referring to went out today to all Pre-Paid AT&T wireless customers, which explains why so many of you did not and will not get it. It applies to all Go Phone users on AT&T, but of course does not actually apply to iPhones and I was told it was sent in ERROR.

Please everyone note that this is probably NOT an idication of an update. Sorry.


P.S. Then again, this is probably the 20th conversation that I've had with an At&t rep since switching over, and their track record of giving me correct information is............well, only 1 out 20 before today. Who knows, I could call back right now and get a completely different answer.

[Canuck4]

I highly doubt it.
Your package now includes MMS but your phone doesnt support it.
Thanks alot apple

[sanford]

Oh, yeah, we're on contract. We won't get one. Oh well, we knew it might be nothing. And you bothered to find out for us, anyway. Even still, just because the message means nothing, doesn't mean no update... 'cause the update is in LaLa Land date-wise as it is.

Of course, it could mean something and they were told to tell anyone who got one before the update was released to tell them it was a mistake. Time will out, and that's about it.

As for SMS being cheaper, you're right. Really it's funny how flat-rate iPhones can be as there are so many ways to get information out other than voice calls. The person I would call most during the day is my wife, and we've got mobile-to-mobile free coverage there. Not that I call her much. We both started out in the same track, and for a couple reasons, a little bit my health but chiefly where my interests really lie, I ended up writing about it while she actually does it. So I know how hard it is for her to take personal calls during a shift. Recently I called her mobile rather than e-mailing, I can't remember why, and she actually answered. There was this awful racket in the background and I asked what in the world was going on. She said, "I'm running a code." I said, Ah, better let you go then. She said, No, she was fine, that actually an R1 was running the code while she watched to make sure he didn't freeze, and he had yet to freeze. But, still, you can see why I don't call her much out of the blue.

Originally Posted by GTiPhone

Listen Up Everyone

I'm sorry to burst the bubbles that I'm responsible for blowing up, but I want everyone to know the answer I got out of AT&T customer care.

They said that text message I was referring to went out today to all Pre-Paid AT&T wireless customers, which explains why so many of you did not and will not get it. It applies to all Go Phone users on AT&T, but of course does not actually apply to iPhones and I was told it was sent in ERROR.

Please everyone note that this is probably NOT an idication of an update. Sorry.


P.S. Then again, this is probably the 20th conversation that I've had with an At&t rep since switching over, and their track record of giving me correct information is............well, only 1 out 20 before today. Who knows, I could call back right now and get a completely different answer.

[AHDuke99]

http://macapper.com/2007/09/21/iphon...essaging-soon/


looks like you weren't the only one to get that message. hmmmmm. it would suck if the update doesnt include that now.

[mpuck972]

Please...You think they would give us MMS before we get the highly anticipated international keyboard? Besides, who wants to send picture messages when you have the option to type on a Swahili keyboard?

[GTiPhone]

Originally Posted by AHDuke99

http://macapper.com/2007/09/21/iphon...essaging-soon/


looks like you weren't the only one to get that message. hmmmmm. it would suck if the update doesnt include that now.

Ha, he jumped the gun even more than I did. All I did was create a thread, then I found out the answer. I didn't make it front page news on my website, lol.

[sanford]

Originally Posted by GTiPhone

Ha, he jumped the gun even more than I did. All I did was create a thread, then I found out the answer. I didn't make it front page news on my website, lol.

I sent him an e-mail to see if he's on GoPhone or not. If it he isn't, then at least what ATT told you is not completely accurate, although it may not spell firmware update this afternoon.