About a month ago, AT&T finally opened up multimedia messaging services (MMS) for the iPhone. It was done with great hoopla and after AT&T issued a plea for patience so they can "get it right." Unfortunately, when it came time to throw the switch and party like it's 2002, not everyone got to play. First generation iPhone users are out of luck.
As a first generation iPhone user, I have a number of problems with this.
First is that MMS has been around a long time, long enough that MMS should have been enabled since the iPhone launch in 2007. It is old technology. How old is it?
- The first commercial MMS offerings date back to 2002.
- CNN noticed it in 2002.
- Nokia had fifteen MMS enabled models by Christmas 2002.
- The Open Mobile Alliance specification documents date back at least as far as March 2004.
- Virus writers had figured out how to propagate via MMS by 2005.
- The 2007 romantic comedy Good Luck Chuck includes a scene where Jessica Alba sends an MMS of herself in the bathtub.
Second, there is nothing specific to MMS that requires 3G. One of the earliest MMS enabled phones, the Nokia 7650 did not even support the 2G high-speed data standard EDGE, let alone more advanced 3G speeds. A more current model, the Nokia 2680 supports EDGE and MMS, but still no 3G. AT&T supports MMS on current EDGE-enabled phones such as the Blackberry Pearl 8110. Thanks to the iPhone hacker community, it is obvious there's nothing particular to the original iPhone as there are well known hacks in the wild to enable it on those units.
In short, the first generation iPhone is capable, the network is willing, but we are arbitrarily excluded. Even for 2G users, they're called "Integrated Messaging" and ironically defined on the AT&T account management site as follows: (emphasis mine)
Shown in the Data Summary, usage of a simple messaging package that includes MMS and SMS that is sent and received, both domestic and international. Customers will see their total number of integrated messages sent and received during the current billing cycle. The message details are shown by type.
Third, and most grating, is that as of when AT&T threw the switch but left me in MMS darkness, I still had two months left on my contract with AT&T. Those unlucky enough to buy the first generation iPhone just before Apple released the iPhone 3G on July 11th, 2008 still had up to nine months of contract time left.
I could chalk this up to as a petty annoyance. I can still send e-mails with photos over EDGE just as easily, but being left out of the MMS party while still contractually obligated to remain a subscriber is an insult from AT&T, a company that seems happy to have over 4.5 million iPhone subscribers, but apparently is not willing to build out fast enough to keep up with them, and then choose favorites when they do get an upgrade done. I am left wondering what AT&T would do if we had an option to jump carriers.
Here is the curious bit. AT&T charges for MMS as though they were text messages, not part of the unlimited data usage. The text message plans have a limited number per month with a per message charge after that. The iPhone 2G data plan only includes 200 bundled and 5¢ for each extra message. Why wouldn't AT&T want to encourage iPhone users to ring up overage charges?
AT&T must have figured the higher priced 3G data plans, which don't include any messaging at all, will bring in more than the few nickels they'd get from MMS overages, and by denying us 2G users MMS we're incentivized to upgrade to the 3G models. I suppose if I saw the 3G model as a good deal, and were otherwise on the fence about upgrading, I would. But I'm disinterested in upgrading to an iPhone 3G, paying an extra $15 per month for spotty 3G service (especially indoors), poor battery life, and getting locked in for another two years. All for MMS? No, thank you.
It doesn't help that AT&T has been recently hit with stories of poor carrier service, and beaten up by competing carriers for their 3G coverage. While I don't see a 30% failed call rate here in the DC area, I have had to make Skype calls from my iPhone over the local WiFi because I could not maintain an AT&T signal. "More bars in more places", as they say, just not the bar you're in.
I'm waiting to see if 2010 brings us carrier choice. I suppose it would be good for AT&T to shed some iPhone users so they don't have to work so hard to expand their network. If even a tenth of the iPhone subscribers left for T-Mobile, AT&T would be freed of a half million users of network load. That can only improve the experience for those who remain.
If 2010 doesn't bring carrier choice, I know 2010 will bring us second generation Palm Pre and Android units on a variety of carriers.
Caveat venditor.