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Walkthrough of Apple's iMessage in iOS 5

Tuesday June 7, 2011 3:44 pm PDT by Arnold Kim

One of the surprising new iOS 5 features announced during the WWDC 2011 keynote was the introduction of Apple's own messaging service called iMessage. The new service offers a number of advantages over current SMS/text messaging. Features include delivery receipts, see when someone's typing, secure encryption and support for iPad and iPod Touch devices. iMessage also circumvents the costly text messaging plans required by carriers. According to DaringFireball, Apple's mobile carrier partners only learned about the new feature at the same time as the rest of us: during the keynote.

Cult of Mac has posted a nice walkthrough explaining how iMessages work alongside standard SMS messages.

Fortunately, for the end user, the transition will be relatively transparent. iMessage has been integrated into the existing "Messages" app. If you would like to text someone, iOS 5 automatically checks to see if they are eligible to receive iMessages rather than the more costly standard text message:

Once a contact is known to support iMessage, a special blue chat bubble appears by that contact's name to indicate they support iMessage. If you don't want to ever send any standard text messages, there is a preference for Messages to only try to send iMessages instead of SMSs. In summary:

Overall, iMessages are great. Being able to see when a message has been delivered and whether it's been read or not really enhance the communication experience. The best part is that you don't have to even think about them because if Apple is doing all of the work completely behind the scenes so that you won't even notice. Using iMessages on multiple devices with the new support of iCloud ensures that you'll never miss a beat when you're working on both your iPad and iPhone.

Apple previewed iOS 5 during the WWDC 2011 keynote on Monday. iOS 5 is presently available as a beta to registered developers but won't be released to the public until this fall.

Top Rated Comments

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Small White Car

111 months ago

Ok, at first I didn't understand the point of this thing. I didn't know who'd want a whole new messaging program.

But if you just go to text and the iPhone's like "Hey, they have an iPhone...don't worry this one's free!" then that is seriously bad-ass.

Rating: 27 Votes

slicecom

111 months ago

text message plans aren't "costly"

Are you kidding? AT&T's text messages cost $1,310 per Megabyte. Thats pretty darn costly.

Rating: 20 Votes

ten-oak-druid

111 months ago

Yes, they are. The $/MB is insane for texting plans.

I also don't know why you think there is going to be an explosion of data usage. No music streaming, and I'm sure most of the syncing will be Wifi only (home network near computer) with the explicit option to choose the data delivery method for such operations.

That being said, it's not as if this is anything new. Carriers have supported BB's implementation of the same type of feature for years without fuss.

Tell me about it. This whole text message fee from the phone companies is nothing more than collusion on their parts to fix prices. They all get to squeeze $5 extra out of every customer per month. It adds up.

The data for text messages should be covered by either the phone plan or the data plan. This is ridiculous.

Rating: 15 Votes

newagemac

111 months ago

Can't believe they changed the send button to green in the messaging app :( yeah I agree with DB2K with that the Internet plans cost more than texting. Also is there any news on how it will find out if they have iMessaging on iPad or iPod touch unless they just compare the contact to see if they have an email that is an apple ID

The green is there to remind you that the carriers are raping your hard earned green dollars when you text over their SMS service. The blue is on Apple's service to let you know everything's cool. :p

Rating: 11 Votes

Spitfire411

111 months ago

What the hell kind of texting are you talking?? Over $1000/mb? No.... Texting on att uses voice, not data. And it's $20/month for unlimited. That's the same everywhere basically.

His point is that you are paying $20 a month for something that realistically costs the provider pennies a month in support. An SMS is a fraction of a MB, if not a kB. It's the easiest money a comm company can make.

Rating: 11 Votes

chrmjenkins

111 months ago

text message plans aren't "costly"

Be interesting to see how much data this service uses for both ends of the conversation. Data plans are going to be very easily breached with iCloud and iMessaging.

Also Apple will have to move from udp to TCP for its notifications imo.

Rating: 11 Votes

MacAddict1978

111 months ago

I will go out and say this is bad. VERY bad.
A lot of people (myself included) own or will own iOS5 capible devices but DO NOT use nor want to use an iPhone. Top that off my iOS 5 device is normally in range of wifi 24/7 sitting on my night stand at home. I get txt messages quite often from people who own iPhones and I sure as hell DO NOT want it going to my iPod instead of my cell phone because I would never recieve it.

My mom, bother and sister all own iPhones. I own an Android phone and an iPod. They message me but I never get it because opps it goes to my iPod. Something I never use for messaging. I use my cell phone for that and my cell phone has a loader alert and is normally on me.

Your iPod/iPad doesn't have a phone number...and if your phone isn't an iPhone then even better. I'm sure they thought about this already. You also have to turn the feature on... so if you don't want messages going there, don't turn it on.

Rating: 10 Votes

chrmjenkins

111 months ago

Can't wait to be iIMing on imessage.

Come on Apple. Make those talented people in marketing be creative. Slapping an i in front of everything is too easy.

Apparently you don't understand the reason they do that.

iSomething has become so ubiquitous that brand recognition is through the roof. The only thing they risk is becoming so well known that their brand loses meaning, as has happened with Kleenex (as opposed to the generic tissue).

Rating: 10 Votes

outphase

111 months ago

Why would your phone number be associated with iMessages if you don't have an iPhone?

Rating: 8 Votes

scottparker999

111 months ago

I could care less about this. Why don't we fix how the iPhone does MMS?
It was insane that it went without a basic feature of non-smart phones for years, but it doesn't do this one simple thing well at all. If someone sends you a funny animation with sound, it never works. You get a seperate sound file from the animation that never actually animates.... something $20 phones are capable of. Group lists maybe?

Hey, it's great Apple is adding a new messaging feature, but it seems only to take the old messaging app and extend it to other IOS devices. How about we make that app current with technology in the past oh, 5 years if not longer?

Maybe because Apple feels that 'funny animations' are not 'current technology'. It certainly didn't work for Geocities in recent years!

Rating: 8 Votes

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