is Imessage "free"?

[jman240]

As it stands right now there are options.

I successfully messaged someone in the UK with it, I'm in the US, and it didn't count against my SMS limit. It is using Apple's server to send the iMessage and not the cell phone company.

Text messages are tiny so I wouldn't worry about data usage. I think the iPhone still compresses audio, video, and picture messages before sending them so again, not too worried about data usage.

A little quick math. iPhone in the US has (for me unlimited data but...) 2 gigs for $25 = 2048 megabytes.

A text message (sms) is 160 characters (160 bytes even though on SMS it would be closer to 128 bytes since it uses 7 bit characters but this is a different protocol)

With the packet routing overhead an iMessage is probably a bit larger than 160 bytes so lets over estimate and say it's about 250 bytes. To reach 2048 megabytes or 2,048,000,000 bytes would take a very long time or roughly 8,192,000 messages (probably many more).

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong, it's been a long day.

 

[ratzzo]

Technically, it is, since you don't pay to get it. But you do pay to your carrier to send the actual iMessage..granted, at a much smaller rate than your normal SMS.

 

[Daveoc64]

As it stands right now there are options.

I successfully messaged someone in the UK with it, I'm in the US, and it didn't count against my SMS limit. It is using Apple's server to send the iMessage and not the cell phone company.

This is not the problem with iMessage.

Let's say that you sent the message to your contact in the UK, but that they were unable to receive the message (no signal for example).

iOS automatically resends any iMessage as an SMS that fails to be delivered after after 5 minutes. It doesn't ask if it can do this - it just does it. It doesn't know about the cost difference between the two (effectively nothing for an iMessage vs. actual money for an SMS).

For most people that is simply going to be unacceptable.

 

[jman240]

This is not the problem with iMessage.

Let's say that you sent the message to your contact in the UK, but that they were unable to receive the message (no signal for example).

iOS automatically resends any iMessage as an SMS that fails to be delivered after after 5 minutes. It doesn't ask if it can do this - it just does it. It doesn't know about the cost difference between the two (effectively nothing for an iMessage vs. actual money for an SMS).

For most people that is simply going to be unacceptable.

scratch that

yeah I see. Mine failed earlier today but it asked if i wanted to try again as sms. I didn't know it did it automatically...

 

[err404]

iOS automatically resends any iMessage as an SMS that fails to be delivered after after 5 minutes. It doesn't ask if it can do this - it just does it. It doesn't know about the cost difference between the two (effectively nothing for an iMessage vs. actual money for an SMS).

Are you sure about that? iMessage includes delivery confirmation, you know right away that the send failed. When I tested, it was unable to send an iMessage, but did not send as an SMS until I confirmed it (I didn't wait 5 mins...).

 

[Daveoc64]

Are you sure about that? iMessage includes delivery confirmation, you know right away that the send failed. When I tested, it was unable to send an iMessage, but did not send as an SMS until I confirmed it (I didn't wait 5 mins...).

That's my experience with iMessage so far (and other users have confirmed the same).

 

[jman240]

Captured it this time.

Waited more than 5 min and no auto delivery as you can see from the clock heh. Just sat there and said it was taking a while to deliver.

I don't know if this matters but the recipient is not currently running iOS5 but they were earlier.

Has it auto SMS'd for you? I would kind of like that but as a toggle option of course.

Ok, after I closed the app it just sent it as an SMS without me saying yes. Guess he's right.

Ill post right after. I even deleted it using edit -> delete but it still got sent. Weird.

 

[jman240]

Just to clarify

I did NOT ask it to send as SMS. I just closed the messages app and when I re opened it it had sent the message as SMS.

I even Edit -> deleted the message before closing the app and it got sent anyway. Interesting. Filing a bug report now.

 

[shandyman]

That's my experience with iMessage so far (and other users have confirmed the same).

it's always asked me, that's the way it's made

Just to clarify

I did NOT ask it to send as SMS. I just closed the messages app and when I re opened it it had sent the message as SMS.

I even Edit -> deleted the message before closing the app and it got sent anyway. Interesting. Filing a bug report now.

the reason it didn't ask you was, from what i see, your contact was not using iOS5 anymore, when you go out of the app and back in it checks to see if they can receive it as an iMessage, which is why, in your last pic, after you get the warning sign next to the iMessage, it says Text message in the typing box and the button was green not blue. It didn't ask cos it already knows you cannot send it as an iMessage as it was unsuccessful before.

 

[Daveoc64]

I've just tried it again and it asked me if I wanted to use an SMS after 4 minutes, but after 5 minutes it automatically sent the SMS.

iMessage is fully configured on the recipient's device.

My iPhone is still willing to send an iMessage to the recipient.

 

[err404]

the reason it didn't ask you was, from what i see, your contact was not using iOS5 anymore, when you go out of the app and back in it checks to see if they can receive it as an iMessage, which is why, in your last pic, after you get the warning sign next to the iMessage, it says Text message in the typing box and the button was green not blue. It didn't ask cos it already knows you cannot send it as an iMessage as it was unsuccessful before.

Regardless of why it did it, it's not expected behavior. The user clicked a blue send button for an iMessage and an SMS was send instead. If it warns you while your in the app, it should not assume authorization when the app is closed. I'm sure that this will be addressed before release.

 

[jman240]

Regardless of why it did it, it's not expected behavior. The user clicked a blue send button for an iMessage and an SMS was send instead. If it warns you while your in the app, it should not assume authorization when the app is closed. I'm sure that this will be addressed before release.

What he said.

Yea it surprised me with that behavior and it didn't ever present an option to cancel the message.

 

[pcunite]

My wife and I both have iPhone 4, iOS5. I sent her a text message while she had data turned on and it went out as an iMessage. Then I had her turn data off. My phone showed that it went out as an iMessage, but a few minutes later changed to green (sms). I like this behavior ... just make sure my message go out.

 

[DiamondMac]

I was always going up against my SMS limit but now I figure I won't break anywhere close to it. I am quite happy with this feature.

 

[iMrNiceGuy0023]

yes iMessage is Free, you can walk into a McDonalds use their WiFi network to send messages all day, wont cost you a penny