The reason why AT&T won’t support MMS with the iPhone until “late Summer”, tethering info!
We were just told the real reason why AT&T won’t be supporting MMS on the iPhone 3G or iPhone 3G S at launch, and you’re going to laugh… Technically it will work right away our ninja tells us. The are no extra plans or higher fees we’ve just learned (the unlimited $20 package covers unlimited SMS and MMS), and the reason it’s not good to go right away is because AT&T has to manually remove all the “Opt Out MMS codes” on each account. Basically, if we were to summarize this, and we’re going out a little bit of a limb, remove the Opt Out MMS code, and MMS will work with the final OS 3.0 build right away. Who wants to try it with the GM 3.0 build just released?
We’ve also just heard that tethering will be 100% locked out at launch, but AT&T’s in the process of putting together a $70/mo unlimited data and tethering plan. SMS and MMS will not be included in that plan, we’re told.
I expect the reason for AT&T not enabling MMS at this point is that their MMSCs (the back-end systems that actually handle MMSs) aren’t ready to handle the large amount of new traffic that the all those iPhones would generate.
it’s ok once this gets jailbroken I’ll just use PDAnet. No need to pay for even more unlimted internet that i already get an unlimted amount of.
your using your existing connection how can they have the audacity to charge more.
Ohh and the mms bullshit, is an epic failure. For a company that is ” World Renowned “, that have a really fucking retarded approach. For god’s sake T-Mobile was on the list of launch carries that will support it. T-MOBILE isn’t even supported in the US, WTF!!!!
Keep fucking up AT&T and the same thing that happened GM will happen to you.
( General Motors meet Government Motors )
American Telephone & Telegraph
meet
Government Telephone & Telegraph
The MMS Block code would need to be substituted with a new code to provision for the service. I’m pretty sure ALL carriers have the ability to run a provisioning script. I don’t think they would have survived this long if they couldn’t. I’ve worked for what is now one of the lowest in market share carriers and even they had that ability many years ago. But the key is if they do not have the back end service built out you wouldn’t be able to provision it. There is probably a bigger issue but, if I were Apple, I would have put these milestones in the extended exclusivity agreement (They may have).
I heard AT&T isn’t half bad in other countries…..leading me to believe AT&T stands for America’s Telecommunication TORTURED!
There should not be any profit margin for the carrier when a customer buys a cell phone and signs up for their network. The carrier’s “profit margin” is the locked in customer and monthly income they will be making on them. One day, hopefully soon, carriers will have to compete on the features and capabilities of their network rather than depending on mobile phone manufacturers to prop them up and lock customers into contracts with crappy service.
My original 2G iPhone died last month. I have been using my old Nokia. As much as it hurts to be offline, I think I am going to wait. In a recessionary (and deflationary the last couple of months) AT&T’s are way out of wack. Did you also notice the $18 upgrade and the $18 activation fee that they charge — give me a break. The Palm/Pre may do just fine, not because it is a better device, but because it has a non-extortionary plan to go with it.
Of course they need to get their sales & marketing plans in place.
No one really thinks any of this will be free, do they?
MMS should be another $10-20 a month, and tethering could be anywhere from $30-70, or maybe they’ll have tiers.
I used to work at at&t and the required iPhone Data package has/had an MMS Block on it. I would think that if you go to your local store and can talk someone into removing just the block and adding the MMS Opt In package you would be able to send them. Granted, I worked there before the iPhone 3G and the Data Package is a little different now. Also, now with the 3G the package required you to get a separate [unlimited] text package which comes with MMS capabilities. I will definately be checking this out!!!
It turns out I’m eligible for the upgrade after all, I checked at the AT&T website when you log in it tells you whether your eligible or not. I just have to wait a week for the upgrade. My friend has to wait untill 2010 haha. I’m still pissed of we have to wait for MMS to be activated. Burn in hell AT&T!
I’m done with Att…. Me goeth to sprint…
Maybe Sprint and Verizon will have more opportunity to grow in the face of the iPhone than ever with AT&T alienating potential iPhone users.
Only about 10 percent of users use MMS. Probably about 80 percent of the folks on this site do.. and who knows, a trend could make MMS the new standard. No one ever cares about how this stuff is used, look at people on this post whining but not even the telcos themselves care about the psychology or use of communication hard and software in fact a seasoned tech at ATT confirmed that ATT could care less. Dont forget.. we in the US are 15th in the world in broadband and the world is giving us their leftover refurbed phones, people. Worse, is their leftover technology including MMS which is already considered dead and gone in Europe and Asia by many. My mom gets her MMS photo with my voice behind it on sunday and it makes her day.. so oh well. It’s the perfect communication solution I think
Wow. Total Fail. Bring on Verizon.
“On Jun 8, 2009 @ 7:19 pm, buckdutter Said:
Apple is not going to make a CDMA iPhone…even after exclusivity runs out…get over it.”
Please — get over yourself. BlackBerry Curve, HTC Touch Diamond & Touch Pro, Palm Pre (soon), even the Motorola Q9… all being manufactured in GSM and CDMA variants. You’re selling Apple short if you think they’ll never go after the Verizon faithful just to “stick to their guns” with GSM.
Unless the exclusivity runs into 2012 when LTE starts really taking hold — there WILL be a CDMA iPhone. Like the CDMA/GSM variants above, it will likely have some drawbacks like shorter battery life, but Apple is highly cognizant that millions of Verizon users won’t switch networks no matter what. Why toss billions in potential App revenue to the wind?
$70 for unlimited data and tethering. That’s outrageous!! Not to mention I’m sure it will not be “true” unlimited, they will cap it at 5GB.
So a typical iPhone users plan will look as follows: standard-$30 data, tethering-$40, unlimited messaging-$20, voice plan $40 – $100. Grand total monthly bill…… $130 – $190. That is f**king ridicules. AT&T you sux!!
I’ve installed the GM on my 3G. The MMS icon is missing from my SMS screen. I think the first Beta had it on. So, I think Apple will have to release another firmware update to add the MMS capability on the iPhone.
I think the theory about their servers not being able to handle all the MMS traffic is a bit more realistic that the one with manual code removals. Ones it becomes available I bet every single iPhone 3G and 3GS user in America will start sending some MMS’ just to see how it works and all… Isn’t it better to wait until all necessary hardware upgrades are done, than launching a service right away and then have a fucked network. How mad would you all be then? Screaming “F… AT&T” and such… And to any smart ass who is going to say AT&T knew about it since like march or whatever, I believe the 3GS was originally planed to be launched in July, like they did before, but yeah, Apple got a little scared when Palm Pre was launched and have decided to launch a 3GS early, without waiting for AT&T to complete all preparations for it.
I switched from an iPhone 2G to a BlackBerry (I know use a 3G) and that code was stuck on my account. As a result, I could not send MMS with my curve. It took for call to technical support and one open trouble ticket to get it removed. Two days later it was removed. As soon as I heard about the delay, I figured this was the reason. AT&T is a pretty lame company. If they go the way of General Motors in a a few years, will any of us be surprised?
@ MSF
Yeah you’ll be very surprised because AT&T is in Top 10 America’s most profitable companies and is doing much better than Verizon or any of the other competitors…
I never understood why AT&T and Apple left out MMS on the iPhone from day one. It’s pointless, stupid and idiotic. I’m sure they had to squeeze EVERY bit of money out of the Iphone subs cause of that Apple deal. Now I can only hope the millions they gained, are the millions they lose.
Companies like this make me sick. I know they need to make money but there are MANY ways to make money. And keep their subs happy.
Keep your customers happy and they repay you with returned business.
You reap what you sow!
AT&T = Ass Clowns!!
“I can tell you that the people on the sales and service side had no idea this was coming.”
Sure they did. Apple announced it to the entire world back in (what was it? January?) when they announced OS3. AT&T surely knew it was coming well before that point, too.
They’ve had six months or more to devise a plan for dealing with this and they still aren’t ready. How does a business without a monopoly lock (in this case, iPhone exclusivity) stay in business operating this way?
how about they add a button on the website so when im looking at my account i can remove it with no problems.
After hearing this news, this is the first time I will happily pay the AT&T termination fees once iPhone is available on other carriers!!!
is there a way to provision necessary mms setting in an opus/iphone acount/ to enable to mms early for custies? i’d like to know