iPhone 3GS from AT&T. Free Shipping
One of the best Mac OS X tools in my arsenal of iPhone utilities is Ecamm Network's PhoneView, which lets you retrieve your call history, export contacts, play and save voice memos, search and save SMS messages, play and export music, download photos, and create, edit, and save notes. It even lets you use your iPhone as a disk drive.
Now an update to Phoneview has added three new key features that make the app even more useful.
The first new features let you retrieve MMS messages and view them later on your computer. (The previous versions only handled SMS messages.)
Second, you can now export, play back, and archive audio files sent via MMS.
Third, the application now automatically downloads and archive your Visual Voicemail messages. You can then take those messages and export them to AAC files, giving you a way to save an important message from a loved one or for any other reason. (You may enjoy those corny-but-cute messages left by your kids to share with them when they grow up.)
PhoneView's update also includes a handful of bug fixes and is free for current owners. It costs $20 and supports any iPhone or iPod Touch and requires Mac OS X 10.4.11 or later and iTunes 8.1 or later.
A demo can be downloaded to try before you buy.
I woke up last Friday morning, just like everyone else, looking forward to finally getting MMS on my iPhone 3GS. However, for some of us, the excitement turned into dismay when the MMS update didn't work.
Users were discussing the issue under the topic MMS message send failure on Apple support forums. I was experiencing the problem and initially I could not fix it--even after spending more than 2 hours on the phone with Apple and AT&T. Today I decided to take a new approach and I found an ironically simple fix for this problem that we had all missed on Friday.
In this example you can see that MMS would fail to send an image of my new puppy and a picture of a flower in my garden. Even subsequent attempts to resend by pressing the exclamation point in the red circle failed to work.
Send fails twice then works after the fix.
(Credit: David Martin)After discovering the following simple fix for my problem the next flower picture was actually sent to the recipient. I tried sending more images, resending images that had failed to send previously, and even a video with sound; all of those worked without a hitch and I was able to receive the same type of content from others.
Warning notes:
- All your preferences and settings are reset. Information, such as your contacts and calendars, and media, such as your songs and videos, aren't deleted.
- You will have to re-enter your passcode, Wi-Fi passwords, and your apps will all be rearranged alphabetically. Note: the latter issue is actually a neat find--now I know how to alphabetize my apps when I want them sorted that way. Drastic yet effective.
- Additionally other settings like VPN, remembered Wi-Fi networks, etc., maybe lost.
Fixing the MMS send failure error message
- Connect your iPhone 3G or 3GS to your computer.
- Launch iTunes and go to the Summary tab for your iPhone.
- Click the Restore button to restore your iPhone and allow it to use your most recent backup when prompted; iTunes should do this automatically. This process will take a while so it is recommended that you try it only when it is convenient and you are not in a hurry. Once it is completed your iPhone will reboot.
- Launch Settings on your iPhone.
- Go to General > Reset All Settings > enter your PIN if prompted
- Try sending and receiving an MMS now.
Hopefully this fix will resolve your MMS send failure woes, and if it does then welcome to 2003!
Tell us about your iPhone MMS experience in the comments.
Updated on 9/26/2009 at 11:56 a.m. PDT: Regarding JOBIROAL's comment about trying Reset Network Settings: both Apple and AT&T recommended this, but it did not resolve the problem for me. However, it is worth a try before attempting my fix.
Updated on 9/28/2009 at 3:27 a.m. PDT: Check your AT&T account online to verify that you have one of the following three message plans:
iPhone MMS supported message plans
(Credit: David Martin)
As promised, AT&T's iPhone finally has the capability to send multimedia messages to another phone number. Whatever AT&T had to do to gets its act together, the carrier did it.
The update went live just a moment ago, and I've successfully sent my first MMS on CNET's iPhone 3G. I was able to exchange photos both with another iPhone and a Samsung SPH-M330 on Sprint.
You'll need to connect to iTunes to receive the update, which should download in seconds. We were able to send an update immediately, but you may have to restart your iPhone first.
To confirm that your device is ready, go to Settings > General > About. Your carrier version should be "AT&T 5.5," and you'll need the latest iPhone 3.1 software update. Also, remember that owners of the original iPhone will miss out on the fun.
For more information, check out Apple's links for updating and enabling carrier settings. And if you're having problems, see Apple's troubleshooting tips or the MMS send failure fix from iPhone Atlas.
Welcome, AT&T iPhone, to 2003. Now we just need that tethering.
It's already known that AT&T is activating MMS for the iPhone on Friday, but the company has now narrowed the time frame to within a few hours.
(Credit:
Apple)
As reported by AppleInsider, AT&T's official Facebook page said the service will be activated late morning Pacific time Friday. That's not exactly definitive, but at least no one will need to sit around all morning wondering if it's on yet.
The iPhone's multimedia messaging service will allow the transmission of photos, contacts, audio files, and locations with the Messages app, according to Apple.
In order to get the service, you will need to download a "new carrier settings update enabling MMS," according to AT&T. The update will be available through iTunes, the company said.
It seems odd that an update is needed when some users have been reporting for the last 10 days that MMS has been activated on their iPhones.
Despite AT&T bringing one of the most requested services to the iPhone, comments on AT&T's Facebook page could be described as sarcastic at best.
"Welcome to 2003 AT&T!" one comment read.
"I hope it crashes badly....this will make them spend all that money they charged us for something that we could not even use for months!" wrote another.
While some people scorned AT&T's delay in delivering MMS, others echoed the recent sentiments of CNET News' Elinor Mills and suggested the company improve its network.
"I rarely use the network at all. I pay...every month for a handheld mac. I only get enough service at my home to text, we don't have 3G anyway so I use my own wi fi...I am paying twice for the Internet. I could care less about MMS because I'd rather get signal and make calls (than) send picture messages," one person commented on AT&T's Facebook page.
(Credit:
Apple, Inc.)
The Internet is buzzing about early iPhone access to MMS on AT&T despite official AT&T statements that multimedia messaging would not be available until September 25.
Reports began cropping up Sunday on Twitter and later in a ZDNet article stating that some users are now able to use MMS on their iPhones. According to those who have early access, the feature hasn't gone away yet, suggesting that it may be more than a test.
(Credit:
Apple, Inc.)
How many of you have early access to MMS? Leave a comment to let us know how long you've been able to MMS, where you are located, and whether or not it's working well for you.
Updated on 9/14/2009 at 11:36 AM PDT: Mark Siegel, speaking on behalf of AT&T, advised us that "AT&T cannot confirm early activations of MMS on the iPhone" and that "they are still on target for the September 25th activation of MMS for all iPhone users. The activation will occur via software update on that date when users sync their iPhone in iTunes."
CNET News Poll
CNET News Poll
And next up is...
(Credit: CNET)We gave a lot of ink (pixels?) on Thursday to AT&T's announcement that MMS would finally be coming to the iPhone after two and a half years. Some people are upset that AT&T didn't meet its "end of the summer" promise for the feature; others are just glad to have an actual target date, September 25.
MMS has always been seen as a missing piece in AT&T's offerings to iPhoners, but now that it's almost here, we have to wonder what's coming to the phone next. Vote in our poll, and if we missed anything, let us know in the comments section below.
MMS finally arrives on the iPhone.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET)Congratulations, iPhone, you can finally join the cell phone family. AT&T announced Thursday that the long-awaited multimedia messaging would arrive on Apple's device in the United States starting September 25. The iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G will support the service, but owners of the original iPhone will miss out since that handset lacks the proper radio.
In its brief statement, AT&T offered few reasons why it's taken so long to get such a basic cell phone feature. It only said MMS "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."
The carrier also said it appreciates the patience of its customers (it better) and that it knows that many iPhone customers are "eager" (that's putting it mildly) for the MMS rollout. Other iPhone carriers around the world have offered MMS since the 3.0 update went live earlier this year.
On the magic day, you'll need a software update before you can send your first photo to another phone number. As we reported last month, some users have seen the MMS commands on their iPhone after the most recent software update, but they've been unable to use them.
And in case anyone is keeping score, September 25 is three days after autumn officially begins on September 22. At Apple's WWDC in June, a company exec said MMS would come later in the summer. And one more thing: we're still waiting for that promised tethering support.
(Credit:
Apple)
For at least the third time this month, Apple and AT&T are being sued by a consumer complaining of being duped into believing that multimedia messaging, or MMS, was already available on the iPhone.
Filed in the Northern District of Ohio on Wednesday (PDF hosted by Wired), plaintiff Deborah Carr says Apple and AT&T misled the public into believing that the iPhone 3GS was capable of sending and receiving MMS messages on the device. The lawsuit claims that Apple's "print and video advertisements...on television, the Internet, the radio, newspapers, and direct mailers" all mention the availability of MMS on the device.
Two similar cases--one in Illinois and another in Louisiana--were also filed against the companies in August.
According to the latest lawsuit, first reported by InformationWeek, customers were told that MMS would be enabled on June 17, 2009, when iPhone OS 3.0 was released.
That seems rather strange, considering that Apple and AT&T announced on June 8, during Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote that MMS would not be available until later in the summer. AT&T confirmed that time frame to Wired on Friday.
"We absolutely will offer MMS on iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G with 3.0 upgrades in late summer, once we complete some system upgrades that will ensure our customers have the best experience with MMS," an AT&T representative said in a statement cited by Wired.
Carr's lawsuit does admit that Apple has a notice on its Web site explaining that support for MMS would be available from AT&T in late summer. However, the suit characterizes the note as a "mouseprint disclaimer," referring to the small print.
Technically, Apple has enabled MMS in iPhone OS 3.0. The proof is that 29 carriers around the world activated MMS on the iPhone when the new operating system was released on June 17. It's not available in the United States because AT&T isn't ready to activate it yet, which was disclosed on June 8.
Another lawsuit has been filed in an Illinois district court against Apple and AT&T under the Unfair Trade Practices Act and other laws in that state.
This second lawsuit, which is aiming for class-action status, accuses both companies of misrepresenting the availability of MMS on the iPhone. According to a report by AppleInsider, the suit uses the same language as last week's similar suit in the state of Louisiana, suggesting that both companies aggressively promoted the not-yet-availalbe MMS features of iPhone OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3GS using advertising on TV, radio, newspapers, direct mailers, and on the Internet. This second suit is larger, however, claiming to represent as many as 100,000 (versus 10,000) people with an economic impact greater that $5 million for the class action.
If you're interested in reading the case documents pertaining to either lawsuit and you have a PACER account, you can read about either case via the following links:
- Meeker v. Apple, Inc. et al in the Southern District of Illinois Case number 3:09-cv-00607-DRH-CJP
- Carbine et al v. Apple, Inc. et al in the Eastern District of Louisiana Case number 2:09-cv-05470-CJB-JCW
Many of iPhone Atlas' readers expressed sympathy with the first suit, but a fair number considered the lawsuit frivolous and baseless. What do you think?
A new class-action lawsuit has been filed in a Louisiana district court against Apple and AT&T under the Unfair Trade Practices Act and other laws in that state.
The lawsuit accuses both companies of misrepresenting the availability of MMS on the iPhone. According to a report by TG Daily, the suit points out that both companies aggressively promoted the MMS features of iPhone OS 3.0 and the iPhone 3GS using advertising on TV, radio, newspapers, direct mailers, and on the Internet. The suit is expected to represent at least 10,000 people for the class action.
The lawsuit was filed because the plaintiffs complained that MMS wasn't available immediately at the launch of the new OS and iPhone 3GS this past June. (iPhone OS 3.0 enabled the use of MMS on the iPhone.) The complaint continues by declaring that AT&T is not a carrier that offers MMS, and that the company's cell towers don't support it. It is pointed out that Apple probably admitted as much during the WWDC 2009 keynote, where the slide showing vendors supporting MMS did not include the AT&T logo.
Finally, the complaint points out that the fact that AT&T doesn't support MMS is relayed to customers in small, barely readable print on a Web site saying that "MMS support from AT&T is coming by late summer. "
(Credit:
Apple, Inc.)
Was this lawsuit filed prematurely? Summer doesn't end officially until September 22 (although most people consider it over after Labor Day). We've even heard possible evidence that MMS is here. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.
