Verizon Wireless reverses decision, restores SMS delivery notifications
Fiend-rexters rejoice. Verizon Wireless has reversed its previous decision to end SMS delivery notifications. We told you little over a week ago that SMS delivery notifications were slowly disappearing from Verizon Wireless phones, generating applause from some and angst from others. Love it or hate it, Verizon has reversed its decision and as of October 1st, is slowly restoring the feature to all the phones on their network. This change of heart is supposedly the result of many consumer complaints. There you go – moan and complain enough and “The Network” may just listen.
Perhaps we need to make a similar effort to get them to quit locking down the GPS!
thank you verizon. and everyone who complained.
Well the moan and complain didn’t work much to unlock the GPS on the BB 8830, one reason I switched over to an iPhone.
most phones offer the option to turn it on and off.
what i can’t figure out is why they would kill a feature that’s been around for so many years and takes almost no processing power or bandwidth
@ BP: The GPS complaint has been heard. The Storm will have autonomous GPS access a.k.a. standalone GPS at launch (unlocked–it’s up to developers to support it). That probably won’t be the only device/platform with standalone GPS either.
What I can’t figure out is why people would spend so much effort moaning and groaning over a little green check mark. If you need to know whether your recipient got your message that badly, call them.
@ Pythagoras: I assume you’re referring to SMS delivery notifications? It *DOES* take bandwidth, and that’s precisely the issue. Every single in-network SMS message sent through Verizon is, in effect, 2 messages. When you have over 20 billion SMS messages A MONTH going through your network, cutting the in-network traffic in half = huge cost savings. Of course, when people start complaining and Care costs go up, the cost savings are moot.
@Verizon Guy:
You’re saying that with a Storm I’ll be able to actually USE the Blackberry Maps application? That application that has been on every Verizon Blackberry for the past 2 years, yet even if I pay Verizon $10/month I still can’t use? And any application written to the Blackberry LBS spec will be able to actually get a true GPS location, WITHOUT me having to pay Verizon $10/month for craptastic VZNavigator that does nowhere NEAR the range of LBS applications I’d like to use? If true, that IS big news (though I doubt the class action lawsuit will go away).
DavidB…Yes this is true…The Storm comes preloaded with Blackberry Maps, as well as the VZW Navigator. The Navigator will still cost $10/month but the BB Maps will work using your existing data plan. So will Google Maps for blackberry if you choose to install that as well.
My little green checkmark never left :-/
not true. anyway – agreed it’s a boring topic, but on bandwidth, you’re off – it’s almost nothing…
Agreed, enable the damn GPS, and turn off the special ring tone so people who call me don’t know I’m on the other line…oh wait, nevermind, I’m jumping ship shortly when my contracts up, and taking 6 other lines with me (my family).
Cheers!
@ DavidB: You’ll be able to use BlackBerry Maps with standalone GPS (not triangulation). You’ll also be able to geotag photos in the camera app.
@ DavidB: You’ll be able to use BlackBerry Maps with standalone GPS (not triangulation). You’ll also be able to geotag outdoor photos in the camera app.
Don’t want to start a whole debate about VZ Navigator but wanted share that i have seen 4 different magazines over the last couple of months comparing all the GPS location devices and Nav services from different carriers and VZ Nav was rated above all. Again, just throwing it out there, I don’t use VZ NAV but it must be pretty damn accurate!
THX
I never figured out why people with 6 lines feel like people care if they switch carriers. They only have 60 million other subscribers. They’ll probably activate 15 people in the store WHILE you are canceling. I think it feels more satisfying to the consumer than it does detrimental to the carrier (or the employees who cancel you who couldn’t possibly care less).
I work for verizon. And when I have someone come in and tell me they spend all this money with my company and have all these lines and are going somewhere its funny. The people who are helping u don’t care. You pay because your using the service. We are about making money. So go somewhere else and pay for the activation fees and the pro rated bill just to maybe save a $2. You get what you pay for
Oh no, 2Kb is so much (for both ways). Don’t be ridiculous, Verizon has one of the most next generation 3G networks. If 2kb per person kills the network then they shouldn’t be bragging about it.
+Brett
I can’t believe you think it cost Verizon money to send SMS. They send it sideband with control digits so it’s virtually free. They have got everyone snowed about ‘increasing costs’. Why do you think SMS is 160 characters? Because that and the control characters make up the sideband packet size. They have to send the control anyway, so why not add on a SMS message to the packet for free and tack on an additional charge to the customer? SMS is a gravy train that is pure profit to the Carriers.