Posted by taolaga
Newly available via Installer/AppTapp is iSMS, a native text messaging client replacement for the iPhone. iSMS - also called weiSMS, is partially based on WeSMS, a Chinese SMS application, and provides a list of features/enhancemens not found in the standard iPhone SMS application. These lacking features have been high on iPhone owners' lists of gripes with the iPhone.iSMS Text Messaging Replacement for iPhone
Though very much a beta, officially only a "preview release", iSMS provides many functions not available when sending text messages on the iPhone through the included interface. The two most prominent of these added features are the ability to send a text message to multiple recipients (or bulk SMS) and the ability to forward received text messages.
The list of major SMS features not normally available on the iPhone which iSMS adds includes the following:
* send SMS to multiple recipients
* forward received SMS messages
* ability to send contact info via SMS
* delete messages one at a time
* i18n support
* smilies/emoticons support
* stock message/message template support
iSMS also supports 10 languages, allows for easy call back functionality to text message senders, and
will even show an envelope icon in the status bar when unread text messages are waiting.
The only quickly discernable drawback of using iSMS for your iPhone text messaging is the loss of threaded message viewing. Text messages are instead shown as single messages which reside in separate Inbox and Sent folders. Even if you're bound to the threaded message view found in the standard iPhone SMS application, there's no harm in keeping iSMS installed for those times when you want to send a bulk SMS on your iPhone or forward a text message you received.
iSMS can, as mentioned above, be easily installed via the Installer application on jailbroken iPhones, or can be downloaded via the weiSMS page on Google Code and installed manually via the provided instructions.
Posted by Mizzle
Really incredible that an SMS application is needed to do proper messaging on iPhone... It's pretty pathetic, a joke, really!
Posted by chuksy
So much for the "almighty " iphone...cant even do the most basic of tasks
Posted by smilerthe cheshirecat
Not all SMS applications are made equal....
I love the threaded application of the iPhone....
This iSMS application is a very useful edition... found it very useful last night
I love that Sony Ericsson's have smileys... something I was disappointed with the Nokia N95 for not having...
But this is a great little app.... and someone has worked hard on it.. thank you
Posted by Mizzle
Sure, someone has worked hard on this and I'm sure many people will be this person grateful.
However, check out the list of major features and tell me how many of those weren't to be found in, say, the T68i?
Posted by smilerthe cheshirecat
Mizzle you are quite right about the features... but as I trying to illustrate with my example for the N95... another top end and powerful phone... that I did like... missing a little feature I had become accustomed with the many Sony Ericsson I have owned....
But that said... even my mum can use the iphone messaging features... limited as they are... but ask her to do something that included forwarding messages or sending to multiple people.... let's just say she would pass it down to a younger member of the family to do it for her...
The iPhone is by no means perfect... as this iSMS clearly indicates... but neither was my T300, T610, Z600, k700i, S700i, k750i, W880i,P800, P900, P990 or P1i and it is all a matter of taste and knowledge of the user...
Posted by Mizzle
Indeed N95 had some missing features, like smilies in SMS messages. And yes, I agree that iPhone is pretty user friendly, however, Apple's CEO said that this phone is five years ahead of other solutions out there
Sorry, I'm not going to turn this in to a "what iPhone can't do"-thread. No phone is perfect
Posted by chuksy
Well said mizzle
Posted by masseur
come on guys. we don't need to keep repeating these comments on EVERY single iPhone thread. We all know the iPhone limitations
this discussion should be about iSMS and how it does meet some needs or any issues it has
Posted by Superluminova
what i want for my iphone is an mms app. Its the only thing i miss.
Posted by smilerthe cheshirecat
Steve Jobs is indeed a salesman...
But to be honest the iPhone was aimed at the US market... And alledgely they do not SMS as much as us... So they will be playing catch up...
People elsewhere are used to more features and hopefully 3rd party apps like this will make Apple open their eyes alittle... As Sony Ericsson has with the under powered P990..
It is only through feedback to the phone manufacturers could we get features that we demand..
You do have valid points...
I want smileys on every phone!!! Hehe
Posted by smilerthe cheshirecat
I have tried a 3rd party MMS apps on iPhone... Could not get it to work... Guessing that was more to do with me...
As for iSMS if the next iPhone firmware upgrade to 1.1.3 is true.. The capabilities of this iSMS is in it... It is a nice addition to the iPhone and I would recommend it to all open iPhones...