Who here uses an AT&T text plan and the iphone's SMS app?

[speekez]

Hello

So how many here are using the iphone's native texting program and using an AT&T text plan? I do minimal texting, so the $5/200 texts per month doesn't seem so bad.

I've looked for other "Free" texting options, but they all seem to come with a catch to work: the texts arrive as emails, the other user needs to use the same texting program, you can send free but not receive free, etc. Sort of takes away from the immediacy of text communication -- might as well email each other.

Am I missing any 3rd party apps that function just like the iphone's SMS app and allow for free texts?

 

[Vanilla Cocoa]

I'm like most of you: I use the iPhone's built-in SMS app.

If you want full SMS functionality, you need to be connected to a carrier that can send and receive those messages. Basically, there's no way to send OR receive an SMS message to/from a mobile number without going through the carrier networks.

One way to possibly reduce costs would be this: most major carriers (AT&T included) allow you to email them and send a text to one of their customers. (For example, if you've got AT&T and your phone number is 520-123-4567, your friends could send an email to 5201234567@sms.att.net and that would be sent to your phone as an SMS.) And that's how most of the unofficial SMS apps work.

Now, here's a twist on that (not sure if it's already being done; I just thought of it). Let's say your friend has T-Mobile and his number is (520) 123-1111. T-Mobile allows their customers to receive texts via email as well, 5201231111@tmomail.net. What if a texting app could send an email there, with a Reply-To address of 5201234567@sms.att.net (so that when your friend responds, the SMS is sent to your phone)? This would eliminate costs of you sending to your friend, but not eliminate costs of receiving. And, if your friend had the same app, then he too could send you texts for free.

 

[speekez]

Thanks for your thoughts. Yah, I don't think there's an app out there offerring true, immediate texting functionality. I'm not a big texter, but I do get them now and then, and need to keep that option open in case someone work related is trying to reach me via text.