Why does SMS still exist?

[mammador]

With IM, why is there a need for texting?


Repost.
admin allisolm

 

[TheStu]

Because not everyone has a smartphone?
Because not everyone wants to have to make sure that everyone else that does, or could possibly, 'text' them is using the same IM network?
Because the texting app is built into the OS, and therefore ready to go out of the box without having to find the 'best' IM app?

 

[Mopetar]

So the carriers can charge $.10 per text and make boatloads of money off of something that costs them next to nothing.

 

[wirednuts]

So the carriers can charge $.10 per text and make boatloads of money off of something that costs them next to nothing.

this.

but im glad we still have sms. it is technically redundant, but i like the fact that if my internet goes down theres still a good chance texts will work.

 

[grkM3]

I have not sent an IM in over 5 years,do people still use that?

 

[wirednuts]

I have not sent an IM in over 5 years,do people still use that?

i do for short code.

and for cricket users. for some reason, google voice is not compatible with cricket

 

[mikegg]

I have not sent an IM in over 5 years,do people still use that?

Forever alone.

Yes, people still use it. It's still used because it's universal and will work across most carriers and almost all phones.

 

[Thegonagle]

Because it works.

 

[TheStu]

Forever alone.

Yes, people still use it. It's still used because it's universal and will work across most carriers and almost all phones.

I use iMessage & Skype more than I use texts any more, but that doesn't change the fact that if I want to send my friend using an Android device a message, a text is just as easy as anything else.

 

[dagamer34]

SMS isn't handset, carrier, or network dependent and messages are cached on the network to be instantly sent to the phone when connected after being off network (or off).

 

[Aganazer]

SMS is going to die someday. Out of all the competing messaging apps, I'm betting on Facebook and I don't even use it, at least not yet. All the other messaging apps are tied to a specific platform or ecosystem. Facebook is the most popular one that is carrier, platform, and ecosystem neutral.

If there wasn't such an ugly ecosystem war going on I'd say Skype.

 

[notposting]

As mentioned every other time it comes up:

huge profits for carriers;
can get through with minimal reception vs IM on a smartphone which requires a data connection to be able to log in and pull data down with;
universal to anyone with a cell (so except for gramma and probably lxskllr);
with the above, not tied to one platform, whether something like Apple or Google or MS

Still irritated that VZW dumped the $5/250 message plan with no lead notice...would have had it on the wife's line if I had known.

 

[Eug]

I and my wife use regular SMS, augmented by MMS for multimedia, exclusively. No iMessage or other instant messaging. iMessage wouldn't even work anyway since I'm on Android. And that is the problem. Too many partially supported and incompatible messaging standards is the Achilles' heel of non-SMS/MMS messaging.

SMS works on everyone's phone whether or not they have a data plan, and it doesn't require a smartphone or even worse, a specific brand of smartphone. Plus it's more reliable, and uses the phone number for the ID, not an email address or some other address.

As for pricing, it's irrelevant with my carrier now, since all in-market plans have unlimited SMS/MMS anyway. This is even true for the el-crappo $20 voice-only plans, and includes both domestic and international SMS/MMS.

 

[radhak]

At the risk of showing up as clueless, I have to ask : how is SMS different from IM in the context of phones? I have been using these terms interchangeably : text me / SMS me / Msg me..

(or did the OP mean IM on the computer vs SMS on the phone?)

 

[Red Storm]

At the risk of showing up as clueless, I have to ask : how is SMS different from IM in the context of phones? I have been using these terms interchangeably : text me / SMS me / Msg me..

(or did the OP mean IM on the computer vs SMS on the phone?)

IM uses data/internet, SMS does not.

 

[Eug]

At the risk of showing up as clueless, I have to ask : how is SMS different from IM in the context of phones? I have been using these terms interchangeably : text me / SMS me / Msg me..

(or did the OP mean IM on the computer vs SMS on the phone?)

SMS is a form of instant messaging in the wider sense, but usually IM refers to stuff like iMessage, BlackBerry Messaging, Yahoo! Messaging, etc. Also, SMS does not need a data plan.

Which reminds me, my niece's friends all had BlackBerries because they all wanted to IM each other with BBM. Now look at RIM. Nobody has BBs anymore. So, they've mostly switched to iPhones and some use iMessage.

OTOH, I have never had to worry about platform with SMS. They only issue is the potential 160 character limit.

IM uses data/internet, SMS does not.

I thought I read somewhere that although SMS doesn't require a data plan, basically all of the message transfers now are done through IP data at the back end, at least in North America. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm assuming that's why all my carrier's retail plans now (even the cheap ones) have unlimited SMS/MMS. You can't pay extra for SMS/MMS even if you wanted to, unless you're on some grandfathered old plan, or perhaps some retentions plans.

 

[grkM3]

So some of you prefer using aol app then iming friends on a list or fb chat to send texts?

I just do the complete oposite and start on fb chat talking to a girl the move to sms and give her the digets lol

 

[Capt Caveman]

Repost - http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2286790&highlight=sms

I find SMS more useful and better than IM.