Walkthrough of Apple's iMessages in iOS 5

[jettredmont]

Yes, they are. The $/MB is insane for texting plans.

I also don't know why you think there is going to be an explosion of data usage. No music streaming, and I'm sure most of the syncing will be Wifi only (home network near computer) with the explicit option to choose the data delivery method for such operations.

That being said, it's not as if this is anything new. Carriers have supported BB's implementation of the same type of feature for years without fuss.

The thing that is new is that you don't have to separately configure the other app, you don't have to pass around another identifying token for the other app, and you don't have to go to a different app to talk to BBM users relative to non-BBM users.

The big innovation (if you want to call it that) is that Apple is auto-routing the concept of a "text message" to the cheapest available network. BBM didn't do that, which is largely why BBM was not shunned by network providers.

 

[0815]

Apparently you don't understand the reason they do that.

iSomething has become so ubiquitous that brand recognition is through the roof. The only thing they risk is becoming so well known that their brand loses meaning, as has happened with Kleenex (as opposed to the generic tissue).

And we see what happens if they don't use the 'i' in front of it: the competition claims its a generic name and start using it too in the hope of the 'brand recognition' .... Apple should have called the AppStore iAppStore and they would have less problem to argue that it is not generic.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

I keep seeing more and more features on cell-phones that take away from the carriers and provide something free to the end-consumer. I think it's great, but it makes me wonder if they can't just go all the way.

What do you guys think? What if Apple one day decided their phone was going to be completely VOIP. There wouldn't be the need for plans with minutes and consumers would only have to choose a carrier of data plans. Better yet, WiFi is available EVERYWHERE you go.

Would you pay $600 to Apple for it's phone if that were the case?

If apple built wifi towers all over the place i would. Also I would pay $600 for an unlocked iphone with no contract that I could use on any carrier.

 

[DeepIn2U]

little off there. It is a 160 bytes. (1280 bits) but lets give it 20% overhead and 1600 bits which = 200 bytes. So all said and done max a text message size could be is 250 bypes or 1/4 of a kb. This is giving them an extra 50 bytes for any other communications that needs to go on before and after message.

that is just about correct!

However its 160Characters, separate from the header - which usually is included in the first 15characters in the SMS. Please note that the header increases when changing the Data Coding from 7-Bit to UCS2 (the latter used for international SMS'ing and using characters with accent or glyphs).

I find the bits per character math very amusing from others posted thus far 8bits=1 byte = 1 character (basic english type characters, forgive me for not using the correct character naming convention here). Oddly enough ... SMS on ANY network by default uses the VOICE channel, not the data channel - yet can be switched manually on BlackBerry's and a few other smartphones (UIQ, S60, a few others but I'm unsure which other ones specifically).

Is the rate for SMS messages actually increased on other wireless carriers other than in Canada?! I seriously would like to know - we're getting gouged here. Without a capped SMS add on or part of a larger messaging plan - we here in Canada get charged 15 cents per SMS (sent/received) blimey!!

I am not saying iMessaging and BBM is bad. It is how everything links up. BBM I have to accept someone wanting me to put them on their BBM list. iMessaging I do not see that and it wants to default to iMessaging if it can.
That is the fail is how iMessaging takes off.

In Apple trying to push it they are going to cause huge problems for iPod and iPad owners that filter back over to iPhones but the iPod/iPad owners who use some other phone will be the problems.

users of other phones won't be an issue with iOS devices ... iMessaging most likely won't work or just be standard SMS. I actually find it hilarious that the iPad couldn't do SMS on the 3G units since by definition they have an associated phone line to the MicroSIM account (its how the provider bills the data to that SIM).

This is a right step in a potentially powerful direction for Apple. I see iMessaging getting ability to share: photos/videos/calendars (native to iMessaging) yet without confusing which photos are yours or specifically part of iMessage ... just like BBM currently does. However I'm wondering if RIM owns a particular patent in this regards.

I'm MORE ecstatic over the built in dictionary and custom words being system WIDE than iMessage!!! A little known powerful function of BlackBerry's is called AutoText (in BB6 its name was changed, unsure why) but if you research this you'll know how much more powerful it is vs swipe. Apple has finally answered my gripes and any iota for me to considering a BlackBerry EVER again!

 

[Trauma1]

Is the new iOS going to even run on the iphone 3.5? Well I guess it will. But perhaps imessage is a feature that won't? Or my idea is not going to work.

The link that I posted doesn't even confirm or deny iMessage. Plus, it's a beta. Hopefully someone with first-hand experience can chime in.

So then what about iPad 1? New iOSs aren't always 100% compatible with older devices, so I wouldn't be surprised if pre-FaceTime iPod Touches aren't included. I'm not one to speculate, but to not include this with the iPad 1 (with its huge, newly formed market) would be silly.

 

[Popeye206]

The link that I posted doesn't even confirm or deny iMessage. Plus, it's a beta. Hopefully someone with first-hand experience can chime in.

So then what about iPad 1 (and pre-Facetime iPod Touches if they are upgradeable)? New iOSs aren't always 100% compatible with older devices. I'm not one to speculate, but to not include this with the iPad 1 (with its huge, newly formed market) would be silly.

In the presentation they talked about supporting the iPhone3gs with iOS5... so I don't know why this would not work on the iPad 1.

Funny... our Android trolls seem to be void from this discussion?

 

[Trauma1]

In the presentation they talked about supporting the iPhone3gs with iOS5... so I don't know why this would not work on the iPad 1.

I don't recall the exact wording in the keynote. Did they specifically say iMessages would work on a 3GS?

Previously, some of the older devices would be compatible with whatever new iOS, but not 100%. They would be missing out on things multitasking, background images, etc. So technically an iPhone 3GS or iPad 1 could support iOS 5, but iMessage may be something that won't work. I don't know the answer to this.

Admittedly, I never even thought about using the FaceTime channels to check for iMessage eligibility (if that is how it works) so this has gotten me curious.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

that is just about correct!

However its 160Characters, separate from the header - which usually is included in the first 15characters in the SMS. Please note that the header increases when changing the Data Coding from 7-Bit to UCS2 (the latter used for international SMS'ing and using characters with accent or glyphs).

I find the bits per character math very amusing from others posted thus far 8bits=1 byte = 1 character (basic english type characters, forgive me for not using the correct character naming convention here). Oddly enough ... SMS on ANY network by default uses the VOICE channel, not the data channel - yet can be switched manually on BlackBerry's and a few other smartphones (UIQ, S60, a few others but I'm unsure which other ones specifically).

Is the rate for SMS messages actually increased on other wireless carriers other than in Canada?! I seriously would like to know - we're getting gouged here. Without a capped SMS add on or part of a larger messaging plan - we here in Canada get charged 15 cents per SMS (sent/received) blimey!!

If I remember right SMS works on the standby signal between your phone and the tower. Cost to the carriers like I said is near zero for SMS.

As for people who freak out about data usage being sucked up on iMessage you get 4 message per KB and you get so you get 4000 message per meg and you have 200 megs on the cheapest plan you have 800,000 messages before you use 200 megs of data.

Just shows you how bad the break down is in the rip off of the thing known as SMS.

 

[thefourthpope]

There is nothing I don't like about this. What an awesome addition!

 

[TigerWoodsIV]

I don't know what world you live in, but i WISH AT&T only charged $5 a month for text messaging!!

Yeah I pay $20, $5 would be awesome.

 

[0098386]

This sounds so great. I recall an interview with some phone exec chap, who said that text messages are as close to pure profit as you can get. They cost nothing to send, that they're sent in the empty spaces of packets that are sent/received all the time.

Take that away from them Apple. I may just buy an iPhone yet!

 

[ThunderSkunk]

1. To half the people posting in this thread: "Failure" is the word you are looking for. Not "Fail". Fail is a "doing" word. "Failure" is a state of something. You fail, and in doing so, both you and the thing you did are failures. See? Easy.

2. That is all. Thank you.

 

[unlinked]

little off there. It is a 160 bytes. (1280 bits) but lets give it 20% overhead and 1600 bits which = 200 bytes. So all said and done max a text message size could be is 250 bypes or 1/4 of a kb. This is giving them an extra 50 bytes for any other communications that needs to go on before and after message.

Not that is really matters but the data part of a text message is 140 bytes. It is 160 characters but they are encoded 7 bits per character. Then you need to add in headers and acknowledgement. On top of that you need to add in delivery receipts if they are turned on.

 

[Trauma1]

1. To half the people posting in this thread: "Failure" is the word you are looking for. Not "Fail". Fail is a "doing" word. "Failure" is a state of something. You fail, and in doing so, both you and the thing you did are failures. See? Easy.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/fail

–noun
14. Obsolete . failure as to performance, occurrence, etc.

— n
9. a failure to attain the required standard, as in an examination

It applies to our discussion.

"iMessage will be a fail": iMessage will be obsolete. iMessage will not attain the required standard.

 

[Popeye206]

This sounds so great. I recall an interview with some phone exec chap, who said that text messages are as close to pure profit as you can get. They cost nothing to send, that they're sent in the empty spaces of packets that are sent/received all the time.

Take that away from them Apple. I may just buy an iPhone yet!

Wow... all this nonsense about how much data goes into a text message, and how much it costs the phone companies etc is pure junk. It has nothing to do with the value of iMessage.

This is simple... it's a feature that does not require a Text plan. Great for iPad and iPod Touch customers who want to text to phone friends or text among themselves. Plus it adds lots of cool features for normal phone texting.

So... who cares about the phone companies. That is NOT what this is all about. And those who say "Fail".... well... let's see. But I don't think so at all.

 

[ineedamac]

This is a welcomed new feature.

 

[Epic Orange]

it is not me using the app that worries me. It would be people like my family members who use iPhone so they try to send me an SMS. Apple picks up oh look iOS device (my iPod) and instead of my Android cell phone getting a SMS it goes to my iPod that I do not use for messaging.
That is the problem I am worried about.

It is people switching to tell the iPhone to default to iMessaging if possible and that will cause a lot of problems. The person recieve imessages I feel should be able to reject the link up if they choose. Make it like BBM were you have to accept the invite at first to allow BBM.

First of all, when your texting someone who uses an iDevice with iOS 5 (iPad 2, iPod Touch 3rd/4th Gen, and iPhone 4), it will detect that this is an iMessage capable device and will switch to that service of messaging. Since you own an Android phone, people in your family sending text messages (SMS) to your phone number, will go straight to your android phone. It cannot intercept to your iPod Touch, because they are not sending it to your email or Apple ID, they are specifically sending it through your phone number. If you had an iPhone with iOS 5, it would attempt to send via iMessage, because it is a capable device. If your family sends it your Apple ID or Email, then it would go to your iPod Touch.

By the way, if your creeped out that people will see what your typing, the recipient will only see 3 dots, meaning that they are texting you back. As well, the read receipts is optional, but the deliver receipts are built in.

 

[Hunts121]

text message plans aren't "costly"

Be interesting to see how much data this service uses for both ends of the conversation. Data plans are going to be very easily breached with iCloud and iMessaging.

Also Apple will have to move from udp to TCP for its notifications imo.

considering text messages cost these companies next to nothing? I'd say say they're very costly.

 

[diamond.g]

Answers to common questions:

- You do not have to use iMessages
- "Read" Receipts are Optional (No one will know you read their iMessage)
- It is international
- No Character Limit

how big of a video can you send?

 

[beebler]

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) Mobile/8J2)

I get unlimited text/mms and data plus voice calls for about $55-60/month so this doesn't affect me much. US carriers are stingy.

 

[CommodityFetish]

What a pity...

Such a pity this is not an open standard that any mobile OS maker can adopt. That would be the real game changer for the carriers' ridiculous text plans. Instead it's just another apple-only perk. *sigh*

 

[PCClone]

What if internet connection is not available (neither 3G, Edge, or WiFi), but cellular connection is available (highly unlikely), will iOS know that it needs to send it as a regular sms instead of iMessage? What if I simply want to stick to regular sms instead of iMessage, can I turn that off? Can I have control? Can I have a CHOICE?

You guys do realize where things are headed right. Yes iCloud is great now, but its headed towards hey-why-do-you-need-to-download-music-to-your-drive-we-can-just-give-you-access-to-it-through-the-cloud-without-you-ever-having-to-download-it-theres-nothing-new-to-learn-simply-purchase-songs-as-you-used-to-and-play-from-any-device-immediately-no-need-to-waste-store type of cr*p. You will NEVER OWN anything, you will have to rely on a "service". I don't like where things are headed, I think they're great now, but the cloud is going to become everybody's hard drive one day. Look at google chrome.

Buy a android and then you will have something to complain about.

 

[Blorzoga]

text message plans aren't "costly"

Be interesting to see how much data this service uses for both ends of the conversation. Data plans are going to be very easily breached with iCloud and iMessaging.

Also Apple will have to move from udp to TCP for its notifications imo.

What a ridiculous comment. Of course text messages are costly. They are such a cash cow for the carriers. When you can send an email that pages long for free, but a text costs $.20. Sure it's not costly when Mommy and Daddy get you an unlimited text plan.

 

[cvaldes]

considering text messages cost these companies next to nothing? I'd say say they're very costly.

Correct.

As a matter of fact, in certain recent catastrophes, the public has been encouraged to text, but not call, since the latter is far more bandwidth intensive. Authorities pleaded people to use voice calls for emergency purposes only.

This was widely announced during the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand. NZ mobile operators pleaded people to text each other unless they were calling an emergency or dangerous situation.

Text messaging costs the carriers almost nothing to send which is why they are practically free in many countries not named the United States of America.

US mobile operators are robbing the American public with their greedy texting plans. For now, the best way to combat this is to sign up for Google Voice and use one of the GV clients on a smartphone or iPod touch for your messaging.

 

[Gemütlichkeit]

i'm all for cutting down on my texting.. i'm already under 1000 a month

very excited about this