AfterDawn: News

AT&T iPhone users to get MMS capability September 25

While users of Research in Motion's Blackberry, or Windows Mobile handsets, and a large amount of other Smartphones available were able to send Multimedia Messages (MMS) for years now, AT&T is only going to make it possible for iPhone 3G/3GS users on its network to use the feature on September 25. The iPhone 3.0 software update brought about the capability, but AT&T didn't offer support for the feature.

The carrier said that it wanted to ensure its network could handle the traffic from iPhone owners sending MMS. "The unique capabilities and high usage of the iPhone's multimedia capabilities required us to work on our network MMS architecture to carry the expected record volumes of MMS traffic and ensure an excellent experience from day one," AT&T said in a statement. "We appreciate your patience as we work toward that end."



The lack of MMS capabilities has made AT&T the target of a class-action lawsuit that alleges the carrier misrepresented the features of the iPhone. AT&T has been a constant target of criticism from iPhone owners, which doesn't bode well for the carrier at all now that the iPhone is expected to become available on other carriers in the U.S. soon.

The software update will be available for the iPhone 3G and 3GS only (not the original iPhone) on September 25, and of course, will be delivered through iTunes.

Written by: James Delahunty @ 3 Sep 2009 20:05

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• 13 comments

• 21Q

  It better be free. I've waited 3 years to do something on a smart phone that I could do on my 8 year old phone.
  

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  3.9.2009 20:54 #1

• DXR88

  i like my irradiated juice carton.

  3.9.2009 23:25 #2

• engage16

  Really?!!??! Oh wait, I've been able to send MMS messages since I got my iPhone. First through SwirlyMMS and more recently using the simple carrier hack that enables it natively....

  4.9.2009 00:02 #3

• ydkjman

  Did I read this right? If your an AT&T customer you must have an iPhone 3G/3GS to be able to send MMS. No other phone is going to be allowed to be able to do this ?

  4.9.2009 03:09 #4

• 21Q

  I know about the native hack. I've done it for teathering, I just don't want to get charges out of nowhere.

  4.9.2009 08:24 #5

• engage16

  All your base iPhone plans come with unlimited text and data which would cover the MMS charges for either program... MMS is covered by text and Tethering by data (albeit the slight risk).

  4.9.2009 11:24 #6

• wabashman

  Originally posted by engage16: All your base iPhone plans come with unlimited text and data which would cover the MMS charges for either program... MMS is covered by text and Tethering by data (albeit the slight risk).umm not. the basic iphone plans does not have unlimited text. unlimited data yes, text no. and tethering isnt covered in the unlimited data section. the unlimited data is data for the phone only, not for whatever device you have connected to it. just ask my room mate who had a 450 dollar bill when he tethered his phone to his laptop while on vacation.

  4.9.2009 11:49 #7

• shaffaaf

  i ahte the fact that the iphone has allowed phones to come with crap to no features and it accpeted by the public. if HTC ot SE or nokia did this on a falgship phone they would be scruitanized.

  4.9.2009 13:07 #8

• 21Q

  .__. Ok I'm going to deactivate tethering now. And I have unlimited texting. But I don't think it includes mms.

  4.9.2009 20:08 #9

• snowlock

  Originally posted by 21Q: .__. Ok I'm going to deactivate tethering now. And I have unlimited texting. But I don't think it includes mms.at&t messaging plans count all messages the same.
  sms, mms and im count as one message each.
  
  sure, you could have used a sanctioned app to send mms before,
  but it would use an email address to send them.
  there were hacks after the os 3.0, but that shouldn't be the case.
  
  iphone is the first phone i've ever had that didn't do mms,
  and otherwise the most capable phone i've ever used.
  at&t has a failure of a data network and customers pay the price,
  even in the form of exorbitant iphone data plan charges.

  4.9.2009 22:01 #10

• burnin1

  Well did the update today from att, and mms texts still arent working...
  
  Has anybody got theres working???

  25.9.2009 20:08 #11

• snowlock

  Originally posted by burnin1: Well did the update today from att, and mms texts still arent working...
  
  Has anybody got theres working???I updated using iTunes then power cycled the phone and it's working with no issue.
  
  sucks that email-to-mms is superior in some ways due to the weak edge signal being my only cellular data connection at home. can other mobile devices do sms/mms over wifi?

  25.9.2009 20:50 #12

• burnin1

  right on, now its working. thanks bro :)
  
  I know the iphone doesnt currently, i had to get a wireless router cuz there is only edge where i live too. That would b smart thing to do though, and it would free up there network

  26.9.2009 07:39 #13