Loading Profile...
Am I the only one disappointed by lack of MMS on the iPhone?
I am a big user of picture messaging. There is something very fun about snapping a photo with your phone, and sending it to someone else's phone. I was astonished to hear the iPhone can not do this. Almost every cell phone in the world can do this--even the cheapo ones. (And don't tell me to just email it! It's not the same thing.) Anyone else disappointed?
I’m shocked
5
people have this question
I have this question, too!
Tell me when someone answers.
The more people who ask this question, the more it gets noticed.
The more people who ask this question, the more it gets noticed.
The best answers from everyone
-
You're the second person to use the floppy drive analogy on this--interesting. I think it is a flawed analogy and here is why: the floppy disk was an aging technology whose utility was in serious decline. As application and files sizes grew, floppy capacity was just too small to be useful to customers anymore. I agree that Apple took the lead in killing the technology and that it was a smart and bold move.
In the case of picture messaging (the feature that enables customers to send a phone-to-phone photo message), usage is increasing 40%/year, especially with young people (my teenage sons send almost as many picture messages as text messages). The technology is in place, and the issues are relatively well-understood. Almost every phone out there supports it, and there is a standard in place. This is a relatively new and maturing technology. It is not without bugs, but they could be fixed. Most of all, it is a fun and compelling feature, in my opinion.
I can completely understand that the iPhone is a 1.0 product, and that it can't do everything. I'm deeply familiar with product management trade-offs, so I hope to see this feature added later. I was just surprised to find something that every other phone does was not on the 1.0 list.
It's also a very interesting phenomenon that everywhere I have asked this question (including a couple of blogs and on Apple's own support forums), that I have yet to get a suggested workaround or an indication of how anyone else feels about the feature. I've also asked what will happen when an iPhone customer is sent a picture message--no one seems to know. All I have seen so far is an almost religious defense of a product that no one has used for more than a few days, and suggestions that I am somehow a bad person for even asking. That Steve Jobs reality-distortion field seems to have enveloped the whole internet!
I’m confused
3 people say
this answers the question
-
My guess is that Apple looks at MMS the same way it looked at the floppy drive when it introduced the iMac--an outdated technology that needs a final shove off the cliff. And dropping the floppy was even more controversial than dropping MMS. Of course, there is the issue of backwards compatibility with other phones that can't properly display email. But people replace phones regularly enough, and in cases like this it's helpful to be force-weened from dated technologies by a market shifting product.
My favorite part: not having to pay extra (i.e. MMS packages) to cell carriers just to send a photo I took on their phone. In my opinion, any move away from technologies or protocols that the carriers control is a very positive development. Go Apple!
I’m excited
7 people say
this answers the question
Create a customer community for your own organization
Plans starting at $19/month
-
Inappropriate?I personally don't miss it because I always hated the concept of yet another protocol for these files when email should do the trick. Still, I can understand the frustration when it is such a standard feature.
On the other hand, complaining about this seems akin to getting your first teleportation device and complaining about the lack of trunk space. ;)
I’m happy
1 person says
this answers the question
-
Inappropriate?My trusty RAZR does a great job with this. There is no notion of protocol (SMS vs. MMS). You just snap a photo and "send a message." It handles everything else. Just seems to me that picture messaging is a basic requirement for a phone. I'm hoping a software update will address this.
I’m sad
-
Inappropriate?My guess is that Apple looks at MMS the same way it looked at the floppy drive when it introduced the iMac--an outdated technology that needs a final shove off the cliff. And dropping the floppy was even more controversial than dropping MMS. Of course, there is the issue of backwards compatibility with other phones that can't properly display email. But people replace phones regularly enough, and in cases like this it's helpful to be force-weened from dated technologies by a market shifting product.
My favorite part: not having to pay extra (i.e. MMS packages) to cell carriers just to send a photo I took on their phone. In my opinion, any move away from technologies or protocols that the carriers control is a very positive development. Go Apple!
I’m excited
7 people say
this answers the question
1 Comment Add a comment
This answers the question
-
I too love not having to pay extra to send pictures! Plus, most (if not all) cell companies provide e-mail MMS support, so I can e-mail number@vtext.com (for example) to send a picture to a verizon cell phone. -
Inappropriate?You're the second person to use the floppy drive analogy on this--interesting. I think it is a flawed analogy and here is why: the floppy disk was an aging technology whose utility was in serious decline. As application and files sizes grew, floppy capacity was just too small to be useful to customers anymore. I agree that Apple took the lead in killing the technology and that it was a smart and bold move.
In the case of picture messaging (the feature that enables customers to send a phone-to-phone photo message), usage is increasing 40%/year, especially with young people (my teenage sons send almost as many picture messages as text messages). The technology is in place, and the issues are relatively well-understood. Almost every phone out there supports it, and there is a standard in place. This is a relatively new and maturing technology. It is not without bugs, but they could be fixed. Most of all, it is a fun and compelling feature, in my opinion.
I can completely understand that the iPhone is a 1.0 product, and that it can't do everything. I'm deeply familiar with product management trade-offs, so I hope to see this feature added later. I was just surprised to find something that every other phone does was not on the 1.0 list.
It's also a very interesting phenomenon that everywhere I have asked this question (including a couple of blogs and on Apple's own support forums), that I have yet to get a suggested workaround or an indication of how anyone else feels about the feature. I've also asked what will happen when an iPhone customer is sent a picture message--no one seems to know. All I have seen so far is an almost religious defense of a product that no one has used for more than a few days, and suggestions that I am somehow a bad person for even asking. That Steve Jobs reality-distortion field seems to have enveloped the whole internet!
I’m confused
3 people say
this answers the question
-
Inappropriate?If you're inside the photo viewer and click the forward icon you have the option to Email Photo. It attaches it to an email and you can send it to anyone, whether they're on a phone or not. I'm not clear on what MMS provides that this doesn't, other than support for old phones. (Oh, and higher profits to mobile carriers) The argument that "almost every other phone supports it" is the same kind of argument used to defend the floppy drive, of course.
The fact that use of MMS is up is probably more an indication that more phones than ever have cameras in them than any real love for the messaging protocol.
I *am* curious about the inbound MMS question, however. We'll have to experiment...
1 person says
this answers the question
-
Inappropriate?Do you still have the same mobile number? I can send a photo and we'll see what happens.
-
Inappropriate?Same number. Let's do it!
1 person says
this answers the question
-
-
Inappropriate?Another idea. Try emailing a photo from the iPhone to 4082192872@mms.att.net
I’m happy
-
Inappropriate?Okay, that is officially lame. I got your MMS message as text with a note that says: "I sent you a multimedia message. You can view my message via the Internet at viewmymessage.com using Msg ID xxxxxxxx Password xxxxxxxx"
The problem is that it's not a link and there's no way to copy/paste the msg ID. So I agree that this is a problem. At least they could use a service that is 1 click to view.
I'll send you a photo from this phone now.
I’m sad
-
Inappropriate?I assume this will work. The problem is that most people don't know their mobile email address. I wonder if there's a service that you could send a picture and mobile number to that would take care of the rest.
I just sent u a picture from the iPhone. Let me know if this works I'm very interested.
I’m excited
1 person says
this answers the question
-
Inappropriate?Having just done this, I'm remembering the benefit of MMS--easy sending of images to phone numbers. It should be possible for Apple to include a phone number to email auto-conversion using a lookup service.
1 person says
this answers the question
-
Inappropriate?Interesting. That is kind of lame.
My RAZR received a photo message from Ted with return address and everything. That works nicely. The problem, of course, is that you would not have known my phone's email address without me telling you (unless you knew my carrier and their particular scheme for tuning my phone number into an email).
Seems like an opportunity here somewhere. Is there a way to build an elegant bridge?
I’m happy
-
Inappropriate?Just got a photo from Thor. Same deal. Nice message with photo first and appropriate return address.
-
Inappropriate?So, the issues are:
- iPhone users do not receive picture messages in a useful form.
- iPhone users would need to know how to convert a recipient's phone number to an email address, which would require knowing the recipient's carrier and that carrier's schema.
Seems like something that should be easily surmountable. Can we design/build something to do this?
I’m happy
1 person says
this answers the question
1 Comment Add a comment
This answers the question
-
Actually, I wouldn't say it's not received in a useful form, I'd say the burden is on the carrier here for not just including the picture as an e-mail attachment as they should.
-
Inappropriate?Seems eminently doable from my cursory knowledge of these services. I expect the multimedia part of this will improve considerably in the next year.
-
-
Inappropriate?There are a few short comings which I have noticed with 1/2 an hour of playing with this phone,
ONE lack of mms
TWO the youtube is nice but you can not access and play videos directly from their website
THREE they asked if this will kill the palm and blackberry?... NO AT&T does not allow most corporate accounts to use the iphone, they added business features and do not allow business corporate accounts, and they left off consumer features. I bought this phone on June 29th and could not activated it till July 2nd because of the above issue. No big deal for a $100 phone but not for a $600 phone and all the hype.
FOUR bluetooth features I have found no way to alter the phones bluetooth name and my razr could not connect to it either, seems to be designed for just certain bluetooth products
FIVE Although you can alter the ringtones, there does not seem to be a way to add them unless maybe when you buy them it auto adds them to the list
SIX other tones, there is no option which I see either to change voicemail notifications, sms's keyboard clicks and other alerts, simple basic consumer fatures important to some and not to others but bery basic cell phone features left out.
SEVEN you have very little flexibliity with overall customization, lock out times ect. Although simple the settings menu is too basic, it is a sad day when every other company is going to come out with a better phone because apple did not live upto its reputation. And if they start not updating but selling these basic feature iScream at my iPhone.
I dont hate this phone but I do feel abit ripped off and disappointed from apple so far
iThink therefore iPhone
I’m frustrated
1 person says
this answers the question
-
Inappropriate?Food for thought, I suppose, but it's impossible to please everybody. I remember when I got my first mac in 1984 and all my PC-loving friends mocked me for its lack of basic features.
"It doesn't come with BASIC installed? What's the deal with those sissy sized floppy disks? It's just a toy!"
I designed a newspaper on it (using MacPaint and MacWord) six months later. It may not have had all the features of a Wang or IBM PC but it had exactly the right features for me. (Also note, people have been complaining for years that iPods don't come with fm receivers! This hasn't stopped them from dominating the mp3 player market)
I feel the same about this phone.
I’m happy
-
Inappropriate?This product will jump start a new gen of phones, but unfortunatly with the iphones current state it is great tech with no features. This phone is like my last girlfriend pretty on the outside and empty and outdated on the inside.
-
Inappropriate?No features...except for exactly the ones that I will use everyday with great joy.
-
Inappropriate?Dont get me wrong I like my iphone but I just think that instead of software updates (which will fix most issues) they could of finish their iphone thought and then expounded.
-
Inappropriate?And name one cellphone (Made after 1982) which does not have a alarm on it... It is these simple things which Apple is usually so good at
-
Inappropriate?Perhaps it's just that you haven't spent much time with this phone. The iPhone has an amazing clock and alarm app. It has several modes: Stopwatch (with multiple lap tracking); an Alarm Clock with multivariant settings such as Alarm Repeat, Sound preferences, Snooze, and Labels; a Timer with configurable sounds, and a world clock. Here's a photo I just took for you:
I’m excited
1 person says
this answers the question
-
Inappropriate?Not only that, the iphone was the first alarm clock outside of my PC that I didn't get impatient with while setting it up
I’m happy
-
-
Inappropriate?Hi Thor,
What does MMS provide that email doesn't, other than support for "old" phones? MMS is a protocol supported by the vast majority of current phones, not old ones. As drewmcmanus pointed out, it's not on its way out.
For me, email is fundamentally different from SMS and MMS. I receive a huge volume of email. Some of them are lengthy, and many are HTML formatted and include images, etc. I don't want these pushed to me all the time, and definitely not to my RAZR phone. I check my email when it's convenient for me to do so.
SMS and MMS, however, are push technologies and have strict constraints on file size and format. I'm happy to have these pushed to me. I don't want to have to check for them.
That's what they give me that email doesn't.
MMS, like SMS, has its place. It's not an obsolete technology. Small, slim phones that lack space for a QWERTY keyboard - phones that are primarily just phones - will be around for quite some time. I don't like how the iPhone feels in my pocket - huge (it should have a removable SIM, so I can carry whatever phone is most convenient for the moment, but that's another story).
If anything, Apple should have found a way to seamlessly deal with MMS, perhaps integrated with email.
For the iPhone not to support it at all is lame.
I’m frustrated with Apple
-
Inappropriate?I rarely used it when I had a simple camera phone (not so long ago), so it's easy for me to shrug off its absence. However, I still persist that we should resist these protocols that are controlled and taxed exorbitantly by the carriers. Call me crazy, but I'm just against monopoly control over my information flow.
-
Inappropriate?Not including MMS is lame, but there are a few other short-comings that are lamer... and this is from someone who loves his iPhone:
Lousy image quality for photos -- combination of low res and no flash
No ability to record video
no GPS
No integration with automotive phone systems
Cannot use bluetooth to transfer files -- cannot use storage to even store files
This list is from a friend in Europe who can use his phone to do all of those things and thus can't be bothered with the iPhone. This last one is especially intriguing to me, a backward US mobile user. In Europe, from the description I was given, people are now routinely swapping files via bluetooth -- imagine going to a meeting and having the person say "I don't have that document" and you say, "here, let me send it to you via bluetooth from my phone..." Now that is the replacement for the floppy disk :-)
I’m still in love with my iPhone but looking forward to improvements
-
Inappropriate?The problem with sending photos on an iPhone is that you can only send ONE photo per email. Why would they do that? That's totally lame.
I’m confused
-
Inappropriate?Amazing to think it has been over a year since I posted this question, and the iPhone still doesn't support MMS.
I just wrote a blog post about some ideas on how to improve this:
http://blog.mcmanus-family.com/2008/0...
-
Inappropriate?Good blog post, Drew! I sure hope Apple & AT&T listen! I'm still a Blackberry user but have plans to switch to the iPhone in December when I can qualify for the discounted price. But there are a few issues that make me hesitant to make the switch. Not supporting MMS is one of them. And I've already found it to be annoying when I want to quickly send Thor a photo. My workaround is to post it to Flickr via my phone and then text him the page link. But then, of course, it's there for everyone to see. Like the photo of a floor lamp I was looking at at Target and wanted his opinion on. :)
You might want to post about this in the AT&T section on GS too -- here's the link right to the "Wireless" product page: http://getsatisfaction.com/att/produc...
I’m sad they still haven't fixed this.
-
Inappropriate?Drew, I am happy to prove you incorrect.
You might, however, be one of the few who are actually genuinely afraid that hacking their iPhone might cause them real problems. These issues are largely imaginary after over a year of development and testing being done. I never really understand why this is, especially with so many features being added (like video recording with audio via Cycorder and Video Recorder 3G, live video streaming with Qik and Flixwagon, advanced camera controls with Snapture, and more) when you do jailbreak. I hope you can overcome this and pwn today! :)
I’m happy
-
Inappropriate?Hi Thomas: I actually tried SwirlyMMS on my original iPhone a couple of months ago--never got it to work correctly. Maybe it has been improved.
Why, I wonder, is there no MMS app on the App Store?
5 Comments Add a comment
This answers the question
-
Probably for the same reason there's no tethering app - I'm guessing a third-party MMS app is not allowed by AT&T's data plan
-
If sobi used a reply instead of a comment I would have clicked "This answers the question". It's correct. Same reason as well that qik and flixwagon ended up recompiling their apps for jailbroken phones: apple said no.
-
Do you have any evidence that apple said no to this? On Swirly's FAQ, they say:
"Q: Is SwirlyMMS available on iPhone 3G through App Store?
A: No, it is not. At least not yet... We have submitted a couple of feature requests to Apple via Bug Reporter, which addresses technical obstacles that currently prohibits us from an App Store release. Time will tell if our voices were heard."
I see no reason why AT&T would block an MMS app. -
If you're a customer, call them up and ask if you can add a picture messaging plan to your iPhone, and what would happen if your iPhone account sent MMS. I'd love to know their response.
-
They don't have separate Picture Messaging plans anymore. They just have messaging plans that include both SMS and MMS. That's part of the problem. They have to set a "special case" on iPhone accounts for their system to understand that this phone has a messaging plan, but is not capable of MMS.
-
Inappropriate?I need to be able to send, and receive Picture text messages. Nobody can get pictures, unless you train all your friends to text it to your email address. This is so stupid. Every other phone out there now a days has picture texting.
You receive a message saying "go to this website, and type in a 50 million digit code, and then you can see the image"
If you don't want to implement the capabilities of picture text allow a direct link to the image from your phone, so you only have to sign up to that site once, then after that its automatic.
I’m frustrated
1 Comment Add a comment
This answers the question
-
The only companies who would care enough to make a clickable link for iPhone users (they could tinyurl it) would be AT&T, T-Mobile, Orange, and other companies that actually carry the iPhone. Sprint has no desire to make it easier for you to have an iPhone, if they could make it harder on you, they probably would.
-
Inappropriate?My blog post on this topic (The Case for MMS on the iPhone) continues to be swamped with traffic. I posted an update to it today. When will Apple and AT&T do something about this?
I’m still waiting.
-
1 Comment Add a comment
This answers the question
-
Hard to say, but it sounds like the carrier is doing an app. I believe O2 in the UK did something similar. The problem is the same as the problem that IM apps have--until Apple rolls out a notification system, they only work when the app is open. So, you would have to "check" for MMS's. You would not get notified the way you do when you get a SMS.
-
Inappropriate?this is only in sweedin though. It also won't be out for another two- three months. So even if of eventually does work, and come here you will have to use a stupid app instead of using your phone as you would with any other phone in the world past 2001.
Apple wake the fuck up....
I know I'm not the only person debating to switch to verizon and get the new crackberry storm.
I’m re we almost there?
-
Inappropriate?iPhone 3.0 to get MMS
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/...
At the preview of the new iPhone 3.0 platform, Apple announced new features for users that include the ability to select text for copy and paste between applications, MMS, and scores of other new features.
Multimedia Messaging
The current SMS app is also being updated into the Messaging app, with support for individual deletion of messages (rather than just clearing the entire conversation log), and support for MMS picture messaging, which is very popular in the UK and Europe. Users will also be able to text other mobile users their contact vCards, audio clips, geographic locations.
MMS is part of the 3G mobile networking specification and therefore will only work on the iPhone 3G, and only when it has 3G service. MMS also incurs additional messaging fees. Apple designed the original iPhone to use standard internet email for sending pictures, and has been awfully quiet about MMS while reviewers demanded it be added.
Apple will also be including a new application called Voice Memos, which uses the built in mic or mic-integrated headphones to record audio clips that can be edited and then sent to other users via MMS.
I’m thankful, but about time ;-)
1 person says
this answers the question
6 Comments Add a comment
This answers the question
-
Thanks for the update. That's great news!
-
Only for 3G iPhones, FYI. EDGE doesn't get it.
-
HEY, GLAD YOU CAN RE-STATE WHAT I SAID USING DIFFERENT WORDS. YOUR SKILLS ARE IMPECCABLE. Also, it can, using SwirlyMMS. To say it is not possible with the hardware is foolish.
-
@MDNZ that's silly. I've owned non-3G mobile phones (like the RAZR) previously that could send MMS. MMS was around several years before 3G phones even appeared on the market.
-
@Thomas, before you get all uppity, you might want to make sure you understand what you are responding to. MDNZ wasn't reiterating you, he was trying to state a fact about non-3G devices in general. He's got his facts wrong, but even if you didn't misunderstand him, it seems like a strange thing to get uppity about.
-
Thomas - honestly. Check the hostility & rudeness at the door. There's no need for it.
-
Inappropriate?I'm very disappointed. You cant email pictures to other cell phones that cant' get email. I want the ability to text a picture. I hope this is something they will fix in future update. Also...you can't forward a text either...it's very frustrating.1 Comment Add a comment
This answers the question
-
They are adding picture messaging in iPhone OS 3.0, but only for the 3G.
