Multimedia messages come to the iPhone

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AT&T has finally enabled multimedia messaging for the Apple iPhone 3G and 3GS. Credit: Chris Ratcliffe / Bloomberg.

IPhone users, rejoice. Or stop griping, at least: AT&T Inc. has finally enabled multimedia messaging, or MMS, on devices in the U.S. Now you can send photos and videos along with your text messages. The feature was announced when Apple Inc. unveiled its new operating system for the iPhone 3G and 3GS in June, but AT&T wasn’t able to make it immediately available in the U.S. The iPhone’s popularity has been a boon for AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier of iPhones, as well as a burden because of all the smartphone users taxing AT&T’s network.

The feature can be activated with a simple process outlined on Apple’s website. Just update the carrier settings while syncing with iTunes, then restart the phone. The feature does not work on original iPhones, only the 3G and 3GS models.

Commenters on the MacRumors blog celebrated -- but were quick to add their complaints as well. And high on the list is the next service that Apple has enabled on iPhones, but which AT&T has not yet offered: tethering, the ability to use the iPhone’s Internet access to get your laptop online.

-- Dan Fost