Do we need SMS?

[mammador]

Since most people have or are getting smartphones, and most major web-based e-mail have iOS/Android clients, why do we need SMS?

Also consider BBM, Whatsapp, etc., then is SMS redundant?



Locking as a repost of this http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2298442
I can't see that the situation has changed much since the last time you posted this, Mammador. If there was a new reason to discuss it - like Google's moves in this area - then I'd think there'd be some new discussion but there's no reason to pull this discussion up again - by the same OP - when nothing has really changed.

Moderator PM

 

[Red Storm]

Because there are still a lot of people who don't have smart phones.

 

[ControlD]

Since most people have or are getting smartphones, and most major web-based e-mail have iOS/Android clients, why do we need SMS?

Also consider BBM, Whatsapp, etc., then is SMS redundant?

How exactly do those clients work? I thought the iPhone replacement for SMS (iMessage) only worked when texting with another iOS device? Is this not the case?

 

[s44]

For most of life, we don't.

In disaster situations, SMS works when voice and data are still overloaded/offline.

 

[Eug]

This has been discussed several times before, but...

Since most people have or are getting smartphones, and most major web-based e-mail have iOS/Android clients, why do we need SMS?

Also consider BBM, Whatsapp, etc., then is SMS redundant?

None of these are cross platform, which is the problem. I can't send a BBM from my Android phone, nor can I receive an iMessage from my wife's iPhone.

Plus stuff like iMessages require an email address to work to their full extent, and don't have the reliability of SMS.

How exactly do those clients work? I thought the iPhone replacement for SMS (iMessage) only worked when texting with another iOS device? Is this not the case?

Apple has set it up that their app has support for both iMessage and SMS in the same app. The only way to know the difference is the colour of the message bubble. However, it's not perfect. Phone numbers and emails are treated differently. So, if you're on your iPad, you'll never receive a message to your phone number. Also messages to phone numbers and email addresses will spawn separate threads, even though they're supposedly linked.

Personally I think it's a total mess, just a little bit less of a mess on the iMessage side, but with occasional messaging outages with iMessages.

Consequently I strictly use SMS and MMS, even when I'm on an iPhone. Everyone can send/receive SMS. Not everyone can send/receive MMS, but at least it's more common than other messaging methods. And neither SMS and MMS require a data plan.

 

[Spineshank]

The only people I ever hear ask this question are in the 40's are above. SMS is faster, and more user friendly than an email client.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Since most people have or are getting smartphones, and most major web-based e-mail have iOS/Android clients, why do we need SMS?

Also consider BBM, Whatsapp, etc., then is SMS redundant?

SMS is better

 

[Red Storm]

SMS is better

I have to disagree. All of my smart phone wielding friends use What's App or Google Talk. With What's App you can tell when they read your message, you can see when they were last on, whether they're currently responding to you or not, etc. It's miles ahead of SMS.

 

[Eug]

The only people I ever hear ask this question are in the 40's are above. SMS is faster, and more user friendly than an email client.

1. Is the OP over 40?

2. Apple's messaging apps incorporates both SMS and iMessages. In fact there is no way to separate them. My solution to just use SMS was just to turn off iMessages completely.

 

[blackangst1]

Why is the OP reposting his same thread that got closed that was closed because it was a repost of the same question?

You gonna try again in August too?

 

[Dari]

Get the best of both worlds. Get Google Voice and send SMS to and from your Gmail. I do that. I have no idea where my SMS clients are because I don't use them at all anymore. Gmail is ultra reliable.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Why is the OP reposting his same thread that got closed that was closed because it was a repost of the same question?

You gonna try again in August too?

B/c he's a retarded troll. He does the same thing in L&R. Truly pathetic.

 

[Capt Caveman]

I have to disagree. All of my smart phone wielding friends use What's App or Google Talk. With What's App you can tell when they read your message, you can see when they were last on, whether they're currently responding to you or not, etc. It's miles ahead of SMS.

And not all of my friends do. SMS works on all platforms and you don't need a smartphone.

 

[Jinny]

I have to disagree. All of my smart phone wielding friends use What's App or Google Talk. With What's App you can tell when they read your message, you can see when they were last on, whether they're currently responding to you or not, etc. It's miles ahead of SMS.

maybe for you, sms is universal. try using whatsapp with someone that has no smartphone / no data plan / or no data connection

 

[pm]

Locking as a repost of this http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2298442
I can't see that the situation has changed much since the last time you posted this, Mammador. If there was a new reason to discuss it (like Google Im integration in KLP) then I'd think there'd be some new discussion but there's no reason to pull this discussion up again - by the same OP - when nothing has really changed.

Moderator PM