iPhone MMS, Tethering Hacks; AT&T Unhappy

[Marcus Yam]

iPhone workarounds on AT&T are frowned upon.

iPhone MMS, Tethering Hacks; AT&T Unhappy : Read more

 

[turelpld]

I just chatted with my wife, and she has not heard of ATT saying anything to its reps about iphone MMS and threat of termination. I looked at your source for the termination info, and it was a blog...

 

[krazynutz]

Or....AT&T is just adjusting current plans. SMS and MMS services are limited by default with any carrier (or at least AT&T and Verizon). Once you go over, say, 200 of them, you get charged. AT&T is probably putting a stop to the MMS switch because, unless paid for, these features aren't free for unlimited use. iPhone plans didn't have this built in. If they don't have something to keep it in check (not to mention a legally written part of the service plan), then iPhone users will have an advantage over non-iPhone customers. AT&T isn't nickle & diming people, they're making everything even across the board. Granted, they should have had enough foresight to take care of this ahead of time due to the 3.0 software's release having been known for months now. I'll give you that one.

But all said, Marcus, write the news. Not speculations and opinions.

 

[dwight_house]

They are trying it the Verizon way; charge for every little thing that they can (text, MMS, data). Instead they need to do it the Sprint way; one plan that covers it all. I really want one, but I refuse to pay $89 a month for a the same plan that I can get for $69 a month at Sprint. That's $240 a year in savings. Oh and charging extra for text messaging is really cheap of ATT, that should be part of the iPhone plan.

 

[norbs]

For tethering got to help.benM.at from your phone. It will guide you through to select your country and carrier. The it lets you download a modified config file that enables a new option under Settings>general>network.

Once enabled your phone appears as a network card to your computer when it is connected by cable. Have not tried the bluetooth yet.

 

[tayb]

Oh please with the people defending AT&T on this. Paying $30 for a data plan and an extra $20 for unlimited texting. What the fuck is sending a multimedia message? Is that not texting or data? It's a ripoff as it is even if MMS was included. If you pay for data along with that should come unlimited data and sending a text or picture message is DATA. Sprint has it right on this one.

 

[rdawise]

[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]Oh please with the people defending AT&T on this. Paying $30 for a data plan and an extra $20 for unlimited texting. What the fuck is sending a multimedia message? Is that not texting or data? It's a ripoff as it is even if MMS was included. If you pay for data along with that should come unlimited data and sending a text or picture message is DATA. Sprint has it right on this one.[/citation]

tayb is dead on the money here. Break down what an MMS is: text + data. AT&T are really screwing this one up..or just taking a cue from Apple's formula (make customers feel special by telling them their cool the overcharge for little features).

 

[krazynutz]

[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]Oh please with the people defending AT&T on this. Paying $30 for a data plan and an extra $20 for unlimited texting. What the fuck is sending a multimedia message? Is that not texting or data? It's a ripoff as it is even if MMS was included. If you pay for data along with that should come unlimited data and sending a text or picture message is DATA. Sprint has it right on this one.[/citation]
If you're gonna rip on AT&T for not including SMS or MMS with unlimited data plans, look at Verizon. Just as guilty. I agree wholeheartedly that if you pay for unlimited data, that SMS and MMS should be included. But obviously, a lot of people here that bash AT&T for their "outrageous iPhone plans" don't have a Blackberry or know someone who does. Guess what? Same f-ing story.

 

[SinisterMessiah]

lol AT&T is quickly turning into Sprint. I wonder how much further AT&T can get their foot up our asses. No matter how much it costs or doesn't cost, no matter what Verizon does or doesn't do with their plans (lol why even bring up Verizon, nobody with an iPhone cares about Verizon) the fact it is taking this long to get MMS setup on the iPhone is an absolute joke.

Welcome to 2009 AT&T. Glad you could join us?

 

[Guest]

Reading these comments, "Wow" was my first thought.

Does anyone even use AT&T, or even know what services they offer?
They have a messaging BUNDLE. My family has unlimited MESSAGING for $20 a month. Messaging for AT&T includes: Text (SMS), Multimedia messages (MMS), and also Instant Messages if your phone has AIM, MSN, or even Yahoo installed. Data plans don't matter with regard to AT&Ts messaging bundle.

I think that AT&T withholding MMS specifically from the iphone is ridiculous. It should be treated the same as when you purchase the messaging service for every other phone.

 

[krazynutz]

AT&T isn't necessarily withholding - Just delaying. I figure it has to do with billing/contracts problems. Problems that should have already been solved but I'm pretty sure it's not just AT&T saying "too bad". A lot of people don't realize that a lot of this debacle could be Apple's fault. They may be doing things the "Apple Way" which may not gel well with AT&T. Miscommunication. Contract disagreements. Apple (along with its fanboys) feels it can do no wrong and, in turn, do whatever it wants because of it's God-like Status. Kinda like the George Lucas of the tech world.

 

[norbs]

[citation][nom]krazynutz[/nom] They may be doing things the "Apple Way" which may not gel well with AT&T. Miscommunication. Contract disagreements. Apple (along with its fanboys) feels it can do no wrong and, in turn, do whatever it wants because of it's God-like Status. Kinda like the George Lucas of the tech world.[/citation]

So insightful!!! Thanks for making me understand why I don't care whether I have MMS or not. I thought it's that I just don't care because I hardly even use SMS, but no it's the god like status of ATT after all.

Hmm is it wrong what ATT is doing? YES

Do I really care right now since this feature just became available on my phone about 3 days ago? No not really, I have patients and lived without the feature just fine.

Do you need to get out of your parents basement and get a broader view of the world so that you don't focus on how badly apple and ATT is treating everyone even though you dont use an iphone? YES, very much so.

Go fight your own battles... I dunno what's worse apple fanboys, or or the exact opposite; those that devote their lives to proving why people shouldn't like something. Who cares, both are lame.

 

[tayb]

[citation][nom]krazynutz[/nom]AT&T isn't necessarily withholding - Just delaying. I figure it has to do with billing/contracts problems. Problems that should have already been solved but I'm pretty sure it's not just AT&T saying "too bad". A lot of people don't realize that a lot of this debacle could be Apple's fault. They may be doing things the "Apple Way" which may not gel well with AT&T. Miscommunication. Contract disagreements. Apple (along with its fanboys) feels it can do no wrong and, in turn, do whatever it wants because of it's God-like Status. Kinda like the George Lucas of the tech world.[/citation]

I've been using the iPhone OS 3.0 since it was released in beta 1. My friend works at AT&T and switched me from an iPhone messaging plan to a regular messaging plan and voila MMS was working a couple of minutes afterwords. That is literally all that it took to get MMS working. You cannot tell me AT&T can't figure out how to do this despite Apple letting them know back at CES in January (or whenever it was).

 

[TheMan1214]

[citation][nom]tayb[/nom]Oh please with the people defending AT&T on this. Paying $30 for a data plan and an extra $20 for unlimited texting. What the fuck is sending a multimedia message? Is that not texting or data? It's a ripoff as it is even if MMS was included. If you pay for data along with that should come unlimited data and sending a text or picture message is DATA. Sprint has it right on this one.[/citation]So much failure on ATT, tayb you've hit it right on the money

 

[NYCGPS]

iphone is nothing but garbage.

Yep, I said it.

Thank god I dont have any Apple garbage in my house. hurrrarrrraaayy !

oh yea AT&T is garbage too.

 

[horendus]

IM so glad i live in Australia...

These "AT&T" clown seems to have monopalised iphones in america.

Cant say i know much about them except that everyone says how they keep screwing over iphone users.

It makes me sick to think what you guys put up with!

In AUSTRALIA you can get and iphone and full features on a dirt cheap plan from ANY carrier....

MMS / tethering...if your phone can do it then it just works with what ever network your on here.

 

[TheZander]

I can't wait until other carriers start carrying the iPhone. Not that I would rush out and buy one, but I'm sick of AT&T holding it back. I actually considered one for a while, and I love my iPod touch. Amazing, responsive, durable device. Best in class, BY FAR.

Won't touch AT&T with a 1000 foot pole. I'm sad that my local Best Buy doesn't carry the iPhone, but ecstatic that we don't have to work with the j-donkeys at AT&T. I'll pass.

 

[radguy]

See my problem is that I am paying for 200 MMS a month that I am not getting and now my phone actually supports the feature. I personally don't really care and have never used an mms ever. I might send 20 texts in one month and pretty much just email everyone.
Leagle tethering will cost an arm and a leg and isn't going to be worth the hassle but I understand why people are upset. Isn't it like 65 bucks a month for tethering with at&t on a blackberry.
I personally feel like the new ihone is still the best thing out on the market even without mms but I still only give it an 82 out of a 100.
And I would be with at&t anyway as people can say what they want but in actuality it really equals verizon and the two are better than anything else. Granted you have to go with the network that supports you and your location the best but phones have been network dependent for a while.

 

[krazynutz]

[citation][nom]norbs[/nom]So insightful!!!Do I really care right now since this feature just became available on my phone about 3 days ago? No not really, I have patients and lived without the feature just fine.[/citation]
I love the "get out of your parents' basement" comments. So original. So intelligent. Speaking of intelligent comebacks, perhaps you should get out of your own parents' basement and get to school. "Patients"? Oh, so you're a doctor then? Nevermind.

 

[MadCraiZ]

I want a convergence device. Phone, camera, email, web, and an API that lets apps communicate with other devices/controls/data sources/whatever. Right now that's the iPhone. I even saw something that will let the iPhone collect data from heart rate monitors & cycling computers, pair it up with GPS data, and let you upload it to perfomance tracking software. Show me another phone that does that!

Unfortunatly I refuse to buy one becaues I don't like the AT&T plans. The only thing more disapointing than iPhone being exclusive to AT&T is waiting for an Android phone with simliar capabilities on another network.

I choose no phone over settling for a crappy contract or a second rate phone. And by no phone I mean using my work Blackberry for my voice and data needs.