Official: MMS Coming To iPhone September 25, Still Waiting For Tethering

Leander Kahney ()

att_mms

Multimedia Messaging Service is coming to the iPhone on September 25, AT&T just announced in a press release. The service will be available at no additional cost to iPhone customers with a text messaging plan (which start at about $20). But there’s still no word on tethering (which allows your computer to access the internet via the iPhone’s data connection).

The MMS announcement comes as AT&T draws fire for its slow, unreliable data network. MMS is likely to put more strain on the network, but AT&T claims it is ready.

“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.

The MMS service will allow iPhone users to send and receive messages containing images, audio, video. MMS is widely available in other countries, and can be enabled on many iPhones with a simple hack.

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About the author

Leander Kahney

is the editor and publisher of Cult of Mac, and author of three books about technology culture: Inside Steve’s Brain, the New York Times bestseller about Steve Jobs; Cult of Mac; and Cult of iPod. Leander has written for Wired, MacWeek, Scientific American, and The Guardian in London. Follow Leander on Twitter @lkahney and Facebook.

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Posted in iPhone, iPhone 3G S, News |

  • Patrick

    AT&T couldn’t even meet their “late summer” vague, borderline disrespectful-to-users claim. Can’t wait until their exclusivity terminates!

  • Mark

    The “simple hack” link posted is for the tethering hack and not an MMS hack as indicated.

  • Kyle

    The best part is the women in the graphic isn’t even using a 3g or 3gs that supports the press release.

  • http://twitter.com/nicksmale Nick Smale

    “Coming to the iPhone in the US”, you mean – the rest of the world has had it since 3.0 came out…

  • Steven

    Kyle, how funny. Thats so true.

    I’ve been an owner of each iPhone now for 2 years and NEVER had AT&T. THIS is exactly why. My unlocked 3GS has had MMS from the very day I brought it home from the Apple store. How funny is that? Yes I paid $600.00 for it brand new–without the ridiculous AT&T contract but my ( $100.00 less that AT&T ) contract will make that up in 6 months with T-Mobile.–Actually 10 months because my wife got one brand new for $400. We pay 100 a month for two lines and two phone’s and its exactly the plane AT&T offers iPhone users. minus 50 minutes. Also…Minus $100.00.

  • http://www.techs-on-the-side.mysite.com sinister1

    This thing about AT&T bringing MMS to the i Phone is good news but only to G3S users. Sept. the 25th? Yeah right; I kind of doubt it. Oh, and even if it comes on that date, will it work? would there be an extra charge for the new data line? Will AT&T over charge there customers like it does with its text messaging? (There sure wouldn’t be any surprises there) What about the users who have the 1st or 2nd i Phone; are they going to make them go out and buy new phones? forget that; if you want to send MMS from your iphone for free to anyone, right now! Go to MMS.ifind2.com and down load the sender today and forget about waiting on Apple & AT&T. Just check out the video on the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AygkZYjjNY

  • Evan

    MMS ? Wow!!!… 2002 is finally here!

  • CaryMG

    Let’s see now ….
    We have the Oriental girl in the ad.
    Where’s the black chick with the corkscrew hair, head tilted back, mouth wide open & bared teeth ?

  • Chris

    iPhone texting plans start at $5 for 200 texts. Or are you saying you don’t get MMS messages unless you have a higher texting plan then the entry level?

  • http://www.techs-on-the-side.mysite.com sinister1

    Ha ha ha :) You guys make me laugh, honestly the reality is that some people have actually already been able to use MMS on the i Phone with the Sept. 25th deadline coming up but get this, they are only activating one number at a time! Can you believe that; are they retarded? there are like 5 million freakin i Phone users in the world! And the kicker is that AT&T has admitted that there will be bugs and glitches since there network wasn’t built to handle MMS. I tell you what, I downloaded Send MMS and View MMS from ifind2.com months ago and my life has been much easier. I even downloaded tethering recently so now I can use my phone as a modem as well. Do your self a favor and at least try it out. http://MMS.ifind2.com

  • Tamara

    yeah, AT&T… I’ve been using MMS now for months. Hey “Sinister” that http://MMS.ifind2.com link is for Tethering and MMS?

    I got the Tethering from them just now and it WORKS! Un real. My laptop is getting free Internet. You’re the bomb “sinister” let me try the MMS also. I’ll leave a note if it worked. I’m sure it will, this is INCREDIBLE. Everyone get it now! I’m not kidding.

    Hugs to all, I’m so fricking happy.

  • Tamara

    As you know, I already go the MMS before, have been using it, but just to see if it worked and that I can send messages, I tested it from the same link above, I have to say they both worked.

  • Shamu

    Hey Tamara, thanks for the update, I’ll try it myself. You sound cute I gotta say. By the way, that chick on top of AT&T’s add, why is she Oriental, and why is she using an old iPhone. I guarantee this is not even for the US. Hmmm. Well. I’ll go and get Tethering from the MMS.ifind2.com and screw AT&T so both the MMS and the tethering works? I might just get both. I saw it was $2.99 for Tethering and $1.99 for MMS good enough…