AT&T iPhone MMS
Imagine what service will be like on 9/25 as suddenly millions of iPhones go live with a feature every other cell carrier has had for years. You think you have problems with calls dropped regularly? Our anticipation is something like molasses powered 3G that makes the Edge Network look lightning fast, along with every other call dropping into cellular hell.
(Not in the camera roll options.)
Quite possibly the idea is to slowly take the air out of the announced date by incrementally removing the “opt-out” codes that blocked MMS on the iPhone rather than letting people work themselves up into a frenzy. While MMS has been around since 2002 and plenty of cheaper, lower-tech phones have had it for years, iPhone users, by their nature heavy smartphone addicts, have been jonesing for some time.
(Not in my Messages either.)
While AT&T promised “late summer” for MMS at the WWDC, the official release date technically lands us in “early autumn.” Nevertheless, as AT&T adds users bit by bit, they make good on their promise. That AT&T has begun this early suggests that the problem was merely their own rather wimpy network more than anything else.
As you can see by the above images, I was not one of the lucky duckies sporting the unblocked iPhone. However, if I were you, I’d check your phone. And if you’re like me, and you’re feeling adventurous, there are a number of places where you can download a carrier bundle that will let you join in the fun.
Thanks Mac-Life! Here’s the original.
-Phenix
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
I know a lot of folks share your feelings Andy, but I’m not one of them! Most users are already “nickeled-and-dimed” to death with fees on their cellular bills, the thought of adding yet another is excruciating. Those with family plans (who are likely to already have an unlimited messaging plan) can take advantage of MMS though. I too in the past have also ignored the MMS capabilities of my previous cellulars. Where I see it coming into play, is the older generations who are being persuaded by their younger loved ones to get cell phones. From my personal life, my Mother and Father don’t have smart phones, and can’t check their e-mail on the go. A quick MMS of the new toy I bought, or a funny pic of the cat, sent straight to their phones is reason enough to indulge! I think the main reason people of our generation aren’t extremely enthralled with MMS is because it was a brand new “lack luster” feature when we started using phones, not to mention there weren’t many phones that could support it at that time either. Sadly I think you’re partially right. As phones advance more and more, e-mail will soon be a standard feature, and everyone will have a data plan! The MMS technology may have matured right about the time it’s becoming extinct!
-Phenix
While a lot of people are awaiting the arrival of MMS, I am really not so sure that it matters for the iPhone anymore. With the ability to send a picture via e-mail, I find it unlikely that I will regularly use MMS except just to say that I can.
I may be an aberration, but I had phones in the past that could do MMS and I never used it. I have also received very few MMS messages in all the years that I have had cellular service.
Users of the 3.1 Beta had MMS capability, and while there were a number of methods for activating it, I never went to the trouble of doing so.
In all honesty, ATT could never give me MMS and I wouldn’t care as long as they upgrade their network so that it is as rock-solid as it used to be when I had Cingular. I would much rather have robust 3G service everywhere and the ability to make calls within my office.
Andy