So will iMessage cope?

Vertigo · 31 Dec 2011 at 14:18

So I guess midnight tonight is the first real stress test for iMessage.

Reckon it'll hold up or crumble like the SMS networks invariably do?

Vertigo · 31 Dec 2011 at 14:54

TBH I love it and have had very few problems with it. Once or twice it's reverted to using SMS when either I or the recipient doesn't have sufficient 3G coverage but that's worked fine.

Generally I find it much better than SMS - faster, no limit on text and can send photos and videos easily and without resorting to MMS.

Vertigo · 31 Dec 2011 at 18:11

Noel Gallagher said:
I don't understand this iMessenger, just feels like texting with a read receipt.. preferred BBM.

Just like texting except no limit on amount of text and videos and photos can be sent easily too.

As for BBM, err that's only available on Blackberry and iMessage only on iOS so they're not exactly competing with each other.

Vertigo · 31 Dec 2011 at 18:31

TBH, with the prevalence of unlimited text packages these days at competitive prices, I doubt anyone who's so financially strapped that they can't afford such a package is unlikely to be in the market for an iPhone.

I suspect the majority of young people with Blackberries have one either because it's cheap or because of the physical keyboard and are thus unlikely to switch to iPhone just because iMessage has appeared.

Vertigo · 31 Dec 2011 at 19:16

Fair point, I'd not considered outside the UK tbh. On the same note, I like the ability to send pictures without resorting to MMS as I find MMS very flaky and the networks usually don't include it in your package and charge for each one.

Vertigo · 8 Jan 2012 at 16:08

Xee said:
Is there anyway to force iMessage only? I ask this becuase O2 charge me to send an image via SMS - but it free of course via iMessage. Which is really annoying when it switches without warning after I have sent it. I would rather it waiting until 3G etc was ok and then sent the message via iMessage.

SMS doesn't support images, it actually gets sent as an MMS which is why your network are charging you, since few contracts include MMS messages in your allowance.

Just go into Settings, then Messages and turn off the MMS Messaging option. This should prevent any MMS messages being sent at all, which should mean that, if an iMessage with a photo or video fails, it won't fall back to MMS.