AT&T Announces MMS is Coming to iPhone on September 25th
Most AT&T iPhone owners have been waiting for any word from their beloved carrier regarding the activation of MMS and as it turns out, AT&T just notified us personally to make sure we pass on the good word that MMS will be available on the iPhone on September 25th.
The date is September 25th, which does indeed fall a few days past the official end of summer. It was important to give our customers a positive experience from day one. We support more iPhone customers than any other carrier in the world so we took the time necessary to make sure our network is ready to handle what we expect will be a record volume of MMS traffic. We truly appreciate our customers’ patience and hope they’ll understand our desire to get it right from the start.
The email went on to also make a point that this indeed will be a software update that iPhone owners will need to download via iTunes. Perhaps the release date for iPhone OS 3.1?
Anyone exited yet?
*Just to be clear, MMS will only be available on iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. No MMS is offered for the original iPhone 2G.
Updated to include AT&T Network 101 & MMS Availability Update (thanks Gregg & sil3ntrid3r11!)
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Cool. Now we have a date. Finally hose who use MMS will be happy.
I mean those.
Are you still waiting for MMS in the US? I didn’t realise, you’re all so quiet about it!
I am….. It’s sooner than later….. Early Fall guys … ?
September 25? That is not late summer, it will be the fall season. WTF, I’m kinda happy that it will be here but 3 more weeks? Way to keep your word AT&T
Nice to finally have a date! I’ve been on vacation in Europe for 2 months and was using mms just fine on my unlocked phone on vodafone and was loving it!
It’s not that exciting. I think I’ve used it twice since it came out in Canada.
@mark
we’re in the us, people are a bunch of of barking dogs, but no bite.
I am perfectly pleased with AT&T’s explanation… Now we have a date… I could do without it but I am looking forward to the convenience of it…
Anyone notice how they didn’t mention tethering??
I am very happy with this decision to do MMS. I will take a picture of my daughter exiting my wife’s vagina when she is birthed and send it to my entire contact list.
it’s about DAMM TIME!!! It really sucked that other iphone carriers supported mms and terthing way before ATT did. I found it so stupid that the iphone is an american invented product made by APPLE and yet we are the last to haveqll of the iphones full use of features. ATT better not limit us to 10 sec video mms.
One step closer to being a SMRT phone!!
yey!!1 im so happy lol
Everyone get your tissues out, wipe the tears away, take a deep breath. The wait is over.
Paul, Can you send me a photo of that sweet action?
lol…so is anyone going to sue them for the 4 days past promised date?
Bull!! Im gunna wait till I see it actually get released until I get excited about it. Im tired of explaining to my friends with normal phones that I cant send or receive pics. (btw, theyve been doing it since the times of the old flipphones when all people ever did was use phones to talk into them) so if they dont step up and actually admit their wrongdoing, they just lost aa loyal customer.
I’m happy, finally I can tell the girls to send the pics to my phone and not have to give them my email
Nothing will change for me on September 25. MMS is an archaic technology. Mobile email works much better for me.
If you’ve been waiting for this, though, enjoy!
WELCOME TO THE 21st CENTURY APPLE!!!
WOW, I also heard that the iPhone will be capable of tethering with the iPhone 3.1 upgrade however, ATT wants a piece of the action and CHARGE an extra data plan for tethering WTF!!!!!!!
“their beloved carrier” hahahahah – what we are waiting for is tethering.
That is very interesting that ATT&T checks this blog. Complain more.
On the 25th, I’m going to MMS all those pictures and videos I stored up all summer (and the first few days of fall) just to test out the feature and that robust network upgrade. I suggest everyone do the same.
Finally! I’m anticipating a crash in the Northern grid because we’re all gonna be MMS crazed. As an aside, anyone else notice the iPhone used in their press header (which the model is holding)? Considering MMS only works on the 3G and 3GS, nice of them to use the original iPhone for this press release. Haha.
Finally
At least we have a date though its past summer and into fall. So who’s gonna sue for them not having it for summer!?
3 days earlier and they would have at least kept their word, do they want to go through the hassle that some people are going to give them
I’m still leaving.
@Donna how do you figure? I cannot imagine how you have decided it is an original iPhone judging by a picture of the front of it? The front has remained the same for every iPhone.
AT&T still lied.
I can see how many people are trying to file lawsuits because ATT advertised it as late summer
@Frazam I’ve used it once in Canada lol.
Haha since day one ? But a date is nice. They still need to address high speed and well tethering altough why ask when that feature has already been realeased thru this site
Wooooohoooooo!!!!!
The info is out there to enable MMS already without jailbreaking. Literally takes ten minutes of your time.
I think the extra traffic mms will create will be balanced out by the fewer emails sent with pictures attatched. Tethering is another beast altogether… I wouldn’t be surprised if they held tht back for a while. But again… The info is out there to enable that as well.
Whoo hoo! It’s about freaking time! Thanks for a date!
So AT&T has the power to change when summer end, or they just can’t get it together!
that mms hack doesn’t work for some people and some iphones…and for some of us that hack actually ended up costing us quite a bit of money in charges from AT&T…I wouldn’t recommend it, especially to save three or four weeks…
AT&T should have announced this June 19th instead of waiting a few weeks before the end of Summer (when we’re all expecting to get it based on their late summer adverts). AT&T you couldn’t make it 1 week earlier – to safely be late summer? Oh well. Still the date of knowing exactly when is very welcomed. I know I will use the feature -
so if I put off paying my bill for a while, then when they call about it being past due, I promise it paid in full by end of summer, then pay it 3 or 4 days after I promised the AT&T rep I’d pay it…we’ll be good right?
I mean, we’re still cool right AT&T? You’ll understand, I’m sure, I had to make sure it was the optimal time to remove that money from my bank account…and my desire to avoid overdraft fees…a more pleasant user experience for both of us, no?
AT&T don’t you think that loyal customers deserve some compinsation for this like atleats 1 month of free tethering?
That’s funny to watch
Here in Germany, we have MMS for some years, it’s as usual as SMS. Welcome in club, US! 
This just in: God has decided to delay the Autumnal Equinox so that AT&T can upgrade their network…
I hope all the people who were freaking out on the older blog post about this, and saying they were going to return their phones or sue AT&T if they didn’t deliver before Sept. 22nd, are going to stand by their word.
@ spook lmao. Ur very funny. We should try it! Lmao!
An Update on iPhone MMS for our Mobility Customers We know many of our iPhone customers are eager for an update on our rollout schedule for Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). We’ve been working for the past several months to prepare our systems and network to ensure the best possible experience with MMS when it launches – and that launch date is: September 25 for iPhone 3G and 3GS customers. MMS will be enabled through a software update on that day.
We know that iPhone users will embrace MMS. 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.
We thank you for your business and look forward to keeping you updated on our initiatives.
http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=1574
After reading many of the post, ATT can’t win!! If they had allowed MMS and the network crashed, some would be unhappy. They delayed MMS and tethering to minimize problems until they had upgraded or improved their network. I guess they could have tried to anticipate the iPhone demand and charged everyone more, but still people would be unhappy. No one knew how popular the iPhone would be, not even Apple (have you read about shortages). I bet when MMS, tethering and whatever new feature is available, some won’t be happy and ready to jump to Verizon or whoever. Geez …!!
Does anyone think that a company missing a self-imposed product/feature release deadline is actually grounds for a lawsuit?
We should all MMS the crap out of AT&T on the 25th.
Just to test out the network, of course.
Rogers only has free tethering until the new year so perhaps everyone will start charging extra for data that’s already been paid for
It’s about damn time all my friends kept on messing with me on how they can send mms on the bb tour curve storm etc. I was actually considern going to a bb becuz I do send alot of pix but fo get dat lol blackberries freeze too much iPhones don’t love yu apple, n 4 all yu haters. Kiss it !!!!
So is tethering going live at the same time?
Great article! I’ve done a few blog articles about similar issues and plenty of free and inexpensive iPhone apps! Some are most popular and others are unique.
Kick Butt
@Kostik MMS/SMS is very common here in Canada/USA as well… MMS was the only thing that was lacking on iPhone (except in most of the rest of the world for iPhone starting in June lol)
Every iPhone user should send MMS’s all at once to see if AT&T networks can handle it.
lol @ manhol1dup. I agree. How about 7:00pm est tomorrow? Everybody at once to their entire phonebook.
http://www.att.com/gen/press-room?pid=1574 anyone else think its funny that although they are giving the original iphone no mms love on purpose because people have hacked it an proven it can mms the same as a 3g or 3gs iphone and the freakin original razor could mms and we know the iphone isnt even in the same class as the razor they still chose to have a lady using one in their post about iphone mms? and btw at&t maybe verizon can handle the iphone maybe they will do just as bad but the one good thing is competition breeds a better product and ur product is service and so far ur product is lacking no mms supposrt how come every other carrier could get there mms up and running before u?
oh man, this sounds messy already LOL
Every generation of iPhone should have this feature. I will not be enticed to buy a new iPhone because of software updates.
For me to buy a new phone it must be another leap forward in technology.
We will all have to download the update from iTunes. Remember how the activation experience was for a lot of people back in June and the year before? Probably not the “best possible experience” that AT&T keeps seeking.
Maybe 3.1.1 will be released on the 25? Or maybe just a carrier upgrade via iTunes.
Yea i feel like its 2005 again, oh whats this camera’s built into phones? what crazy nonsense will phones be able to do now? Internet? naww…..
A month after I got my iPhone 3g. Fair enough.
Also, I hope they can flip a switch to improve the network capacity as I’ve not seen anything improve since they announced the 3GS in June. Maybe they have a huge amount of hidden capacity that they holding on to for MMS and on the 25th they’ll flip the switch and everything will be a cell phone 3G Utopia! Actual 3G speeds when I have 5 bars rather than spinning and nothing being transferred, forcing me to go to Edge to check email.
I wonder if it will be earlier – Maybe they are under promising and planning to over deliver… which is a great customer service booster. Apple sort of did the same thing with Snow Leopard operating system… Just a thought…
Also after thinking about it – I would much rather get it and it be right verses – get it and it barely work (Verizon did that with the Blackberry Storm – let’s just say it was terrible no better yet a horrible experience – and helped me decide to come to iPhone)
I hate how people are complaining so much!! AT&T just Doesnt want any MORE bad reputations from network crashing. AT&T just wants a good user experience. The iPhone is a data HOG! and so many iPhones doesn’t help the bandwith problem. So stop complaining if AT&T is a few days late!!!
I don’t see people screaming at apple for coming out with rumoured or needed updates or product a few days later than expected or delayed a few months. Jeez…
OMG!! Finally!!
ATT can’t win for losing. It sucks yes that MMS has taken so long. Whatever the reason is. But nevertheless this is partially Apples fault. They wanted society to move on to the latest an greatest technology which really was they wanted to figure out a way to implement it was more like it. People read between the lines.
I bet this software update will block/disable the benm.at hack for tethering
Yes, atleast we know what to expect now. Frist I was just thing like they not care.
Can’t wait that long!!!!
My goodness. Just send a frickin’ e-mail with a picture or sound file attached. That’s like what, 1990s techology? Heck, maybe even 1980s. Still works pretty well. Is MMS really going to make your life better? One would think it is the ultimate game-changing event judged by these posts and so many others I have read. Yikes.
you missed a c there buddy exited instead of excited lol
I wonder if AT&T realizes that by delaying the release for 3 days they have opened themselves and Apple up to huge amounts of legally sound lawsuits. How stupid, unless they turn it on sooner. They screwd up the first time, now they can’t even keep there “late summer” promise. Damn! When the iPhone becomes available on another network, I’m jumping ship. Not because of poor signal or dropped calls, but because of bad customer sevice. They lied! Plan and simple. They don’t value me as a customer. They just don’t care. Unless that changes, I’m gone!
I lack confidence. I’ll believe it when I see it…
Don’t know what the hoopla is all about. I use email and it works just dandy…
STOP WHINING! THEY SAID END OF SUMMER. THEY WENT OVER 4 EXTRA DAYS , WHOOPDYFUKINDOODA! Why are people thinking that August 31st is the last day of summer?? You have roughly 3 weeks left of summer and 3 weeks till the MMS is available
@Sean
remind me never to use you as a lawyer… Well I guess you can, but after it’s thrown out of court… YOU CAN’T SUE FOR THAT… Haha
It’s been three years of not having MMS with the iPhone. I’m sure waiting a little longer will be worth it. I’m looking to it so that I can send my location, contacts and pictures through text.
I hope iPhone doesn’t go to a sucky network like Verizon. I still doubt that it will ever go to other networks but if it does, again, I hope it’s not a sucky network.
We suck.
Tethering? Hel-lo?!
We suck more.
Well finally! not having MMS has just killed me. Some people are trying to stand up for AT&T saying its only a few days after summer. But it’s just the fact they not only does AT&T hold US iPhone users back from two big upgrades in MMS & Tethering (which is frustrating enough since especially MMS is not some new premium feature, in their very own network they supply that feature!) But they put a very loose deadline to roll it out “Late summer” Now, they will miss their own deadline that they advertised. Even if its a few days, that’s completely unacceptable! I don’t know, maybe since becoming a iPhone user, I’ve become spoiled and self-centered. But I think not only did they fail to stay on top of things, but also failed to at least keep us informed on the status of these features. But hey, maybe I’m just very nieve and have no idea what I’m talking about. However, AT&T has to be aware that they look stupid for not having these out with everyone else in the world. So they should be very clear why they can’t release it. Let us be informed about the unique situation they are in because of this and so I can at least be understanding.
Another thing is… What was it about these features that all the other international carriers could handle… But the once phone monopoly: AT&T, couldn’t handle?
Alot of you guys are dicks. Thanks AT&T.
Wow. Ok I’m dumb. I just went straight to the comments and didn’t even see the AT&T video… So that answers my questions about communication from AT&T. So scratch that out of my rant. But, why did they send this now? It would have helped so much more to explain that stuff like at least a month ago.
Still don’t get why AT&T is the only one that is having this issue..
i can finally mark my calender
/very happy
You should have “been on it” the day 3.0 went live.
We suck the most
I think that att should be taught a lesson to not fuck with iphone users….as soon as you get the update that enables the mms on our phones,start sending mms to everyone and everywhere send em often and send them constantly. If all of us do it i am sure we can cause a blackout of the new and improved network. if your reading this att, really shouldnt have messed with the iphone community!@!
Update on tethering… From Dallas MN techblog from ATT
UPDATE II: Here’s AT&T’s official comment today on tethering for the iPhone:
We expect to offer tethering in the future. By its nature, this function could exponentially increase traffic on the network, and we need to ensure that some of our current upgrades are in place before we can deliver the expanded functionality with the excellent performance that customers expect.
absolute bull. I live in Iowa City and the ATT network here is absolutely worthless. Their employees lie out of their teeth. They’ve been telling customers for the past 3 years that 3G is coming in a couple of months. They have no idea how to service any of their phones and are clueless about their plans. My phone is constantly in SOS mode. CONSTANTLY. I’ve had three different phones with ATT and multiple SIM cards but SOS is always an issue. If you’re in the Iowa City area and are thinking about switching to ATT…DON’T DO IT. You won’t be able to use your service half the time.
Yaya(: everyone just chill..you can’t do shit about it
that at&t guy is such a dildo
damnit dilldo
Here’s the ultimate missing feature, indoor coverage AT?T!!! Everyone is complaining about the wrong thing. I just wish we could get a signal inside of Walmart or the mall or, let’s see, my freakin house. Love Apple, Hate AT&T. ??????????????
For those who are wanting to sue AT&T, was there something in your contract that stated you would recieve all the devices services and did it come out of AT&Ts pr department. It won’t hold up, don’t waste your money.
AT&T’s contract doesn’t state that they’ll restrict your services if your device is capable and you’re paying for the service. My wife and I have a family unlimited texting plan (includes MMS) and my iPhone has the MMS capability already. The only reason MMS doesn’t work is because AT&T blocks it when it detects an iPhone on the account. I see this as a breach of contract on AT&T’s part as it says nowhere that they will impose an artificial restriction on the device. When my wife and I first bought iPhone 3G we knew there was no MMS because the opine was not capable. As soon as 3.0 came out and the capability was there it should have been available.