We know many of our iPhone customers are eager for an update on our rollout schedule for Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). We’ve been working for the past several months to prepare our systems and network to ensure the best possible experience with MMS when it launches – and that launch date is: September 25 for iPhone 3G and 3GS customers. MMS will be enabled through a software update on that day.
We know that iPhone users will embrace 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. We appreciate your patience as we work toward that end.
We’re riding the leading edge of smartphone growth that’s resulted in an explosion of traffic over the AT&T network. Wireless use on our network has grown an average of 350 percent year-over-year for the past two years, and is projected to continue at a rapid pace in 2009 and beyond. The volume of smartphone data traffic the AT&T network is handling is unmatched in the wireless industry. We want you to know that we’re working relentlessly to innovate and invest in our network to anticipate this growth in usage and to stay ahead of the anticipated growth in data demand, new devices and applications for years to come.
We thank you for your business and look forward to keeping you updated on our initiatives.
Source: AT&T Inc..
MacDailyNews Take: Rachet up the class action lawsuits. The “end of summer” – which is when AT&T and Apple promised MMS for iPhone at the latest – is midnight on September 21.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Robert C.” for the heads up.]
This allows you to send and receive photos, contacts, audio files, and location information,
Dude, we already have that. It’s called email.
All AT&T has done with this delay is make sure that people like me get used to not having or using (or paying for) SMS or MMS.
MW: design
I wonder how much they will charge for it.
It’s included with your text messaging plan.
MMS looks interesting. But, I would rather have iChat available on my iPhone. Even the 1st iPhone could send and receive iChat. Apple, it is time to put an iSight on the iPhone (like the one that will be on the MacTablet) and at least, let us receive iChat on the existing iPhone and iPod touch devices.
So much for it being available in the summer… unless someone moved the equinox and didn’t tell me! <g>
@Jersey_Trader
Are you prepared to pay extra for iChat? The additional bandwidth required for video chat may require considerable additional investment in infrastructure. I imagine you have not considered that – or perhaps you feel that the issue is irrelevant. But as far as I know there is no bandwidth fairy… At some point in time the US carriers will have to charge for data usage, like carriers in the rest of the world. I can already hear the screams from those who live in a fantasy world where everything they want is automatically their right to have – and free, of course…
It’s about time. It’s embarrassing getting MMS messages from 4-year-old dumb phones and not being able to read them.
@byronic:
All excellent points!
Given the current zeitgeist, however, I wouldn’t be surprised if Congress or the FCC decides to “mandate” such service. Then we can all get together to blame the evil corps. for the inevitable “shortages” to follow.
They must be counting on an Indian Summer. Now it all makes sense.
Anyone notice that in the press release the woman in the picture is holding the old iPhone that can’t do MMS?
Oh great. Now everyone is going to be sending their dumbass vacation pictures to my iPhone. There must be a way to disable MMS, because I haven’t used it, won’t use it and don’t like it. If I want images, send me a RAW format photo taken by a Nikon D5. Not exactly on my top 10, even Top 50, things I would like on the iPhone. Tethering. Multitasking. Oh never mind, the list goes on.
Finally, not that I’ll be sending any MMS messages, but the ability to view MMS messages without having to go to the website is a welcome fix.
May be they meant end of summer in the Southern Hemisphere.
Seriously, who even cares?
So, irrelevent now…
This tired rumor has been going on for so long. The chance to come to Apple has been there for years, and the boat was missed, and… wait… this is about The Beatles, right?
to Byronic:
Actually, iChat AV can be very frugal with its bandwidth. Certainly, it takes significantly less than YouTube, which was available, and heavily promoted, on the EDGE iPhone, over two years ago. While the specified minimum is 100kbps, I have had sustained, consistent and quite decent two-way AV conversations where bandwidth usage went below 50kbps (practically dial-up speeds!). If AT&T allowed YouTube since day one, and continues to allow downloading music through iTunes, there is really no excuse for not letting iChat AV go through.
Oh, and by the way, AT&T charges $30 per month for the bandwidth. That’s certainly some bandwidth fairy, at least for AT&T.
So much for the their F’ing SUMMER PROMISE!!! AT&T;sucks!!!
Oh great! I will use it… never.
I think at&t;did a good think waiting with the rollout, it’s better to have people who complain about MMS not being available than piss customers off with bad service
Fall in the northern hemisphere begins at 5:18 PM on 22 SEP. Three days should not cost that much in those two lawsuits.
MDN …
Not to argue with you, but “technically” … according to Wiki …
The Sun will cross the Equator on Sep 22 at 21:18 UTC
“Closer” but still no cigar …
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BC
Hey Rike …
What you doing posting same info as me before I’d refreshed my page view ?
LeftCoastDude …
Yea, garbage in garbage out – hope Folks spend the bandwidth wisely
And pDrag …
No chitter … damn fairy du$t shows up in some very interesting ways
Haven’t used iPhone “online” much this summer, so …
Just the thought of the math – Cost per Kbyte …
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BC
Translation: “We’ve been trying to figure out how to charge you more for it.”
Now where’s tethering? Does AT&T;LIKE coming in last all the time?
@Leftcoastdude. You got it right, who besides a few 12 year olds care about MMS. Just more useless crap to slow the network I fear.
the real news here is that there should be No Reason carriers treat MMS different from internet usage
the future should be one big dumb pipe for all connected devices
hopefully Apple will lead the way in standardization
personally I am excited for some carrier competition and the further growing of the industry by the iphone.
the exclusive with att has served its purpose, now its time to move on!
AT&T;FAIL.
MMS is awesome to have.
people who don’t think it’s useful to have/use especially given the state of the world… well, get some friends.