MMS-capabilities coming soon to a Swedish iPhone?

The oft-bemoaned lack of certain, um... capabilities of the the iPhone is forcing individual companies to take desperate measures, it seems. It's not entirely clear, but MacWorld says it's confirmed with Telia that the Swedish-Finnish carrier's developing an MMS-enabling app for the iPhone. MacWorld says the app will hit the market in the next two months, which is great news for everyone in Sweden. If you live anywhere else in the world, however, you'll just have to continue on, rueing the day you ever encountered Apple's MMS-spurning, copy and paste-hating handset.

Update: Though the source is Swedish, it's entirely reasonable to believe that this'll spread across all of Telia's markets (and the world?). Thanks, commenters!

[Thanks, Martin]

[Homeboy @ Nov 18th 2008 5:22PM]

1-2 as in next year? Welcome to 2004.

[Dan @ Nov 18th 2008 6:10PM]

I wrote you a comment. You can view my comment within the next 20min via the web at www.ThisReallySucks.com using MSG ID "Pain" and password "In The A$$

[Vanillacide @ Nov 18th 2008 8:49PM]

Look Steve, we know that MMS isn't that big State-side ... and what is right for US market drives the features on your global product.

But here in Europe, it is a PITA that my iPhone and now 3G iPhone does not have MMS capabilities. My friends and family use MMS on their phone a lot, and it's laughable that official iPhone OS X does not support it.

Some of my friends have jail-broken iPhones specifically for the MMS support, oh and recording video with the camera too. If it can be done with Jail-broken apps, why can't Apple offer the same functionality? These two funcation are the bare minimum functional requirement for many people.

[JeffEd @ Nov 19th 2008 12:10AM]

The iPhone does have MMS. It's an excellent program by the name of SwirlyMMS and it works great on T-Mobile in the states. I highly recommend it. It's never locked up on me... unlike Safari and Mail often do. ;-)
And I agree with you Vanillicide. For all of you who say you don't use it don't care, just don't bother commenting. The problem isn't with the people who don't care. The problem is that the iPhone has now overtaken RIM and the RAZR and yet we STILL can't send a picture as quickly and as simply as a RAZR or a RIM phone can. For those of us who have stock in Apple in any way shape or form it is important to us that Apple Inc realizes (and that means doing something about) the fact that they can not be in this market if they are not competetive in the features that are already there. Apple loses nothing in adding this functionality, and this is why it is so unsettling to see that they encourege people to move to an unofficial jailbrake of their phone to use a service feature that we are paying for.

[Rauha @ Nov 19th 2008 4:54AM]

"Welcome to 2004."

Nope.

That should be: Wellcome to 2002.

[loocas @ Nov 18th 2008 5:23PM]

MMS is just a big bag of hurt...

[MadMike @ Nov 18th 2008 5:29PM]

Yeah and "Copy & Paste" just isn't high on their list. Except it's at the TOP of everyone elses!

[UnixSystemsEngineer @ Nov 18th 2008 8:16PM]

I'd personally rank MMS way above copy + paste; I can only think of one instance where I wanted c+p.

[Jarhead2012 @ Nov 18th 2008 5:24PM]

Congrats to Swedish iPhone users.

[Fusion Fuzo @ Nov 18th 2008 5:27PM]

Can someone also make 'copy and past' available.

[who? @ Nov 18th 2008 5:30PM]

I think the chance for that has paste.

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 18th 2008 5:46PM]

I think that was unintentional but funny nonetheless.

[BJ is Gooder @ Nov 18th 2008 6:30PM]

He definitely has no idea why he was highly ranked for that...

Copy and past unfortunately won't be available until the flux-capacitor can be scaled down to fit into the iphone.

[sw @ Nov 18th 2008 7:14PM]

Let me know when Mr. Fusion is available, i don't want to deal with libyans in Combi vans...

[John @ Nov 18th 2008 5:27PM]

Correction: Will hit the market in 2 months assuming Apple doesn't decide that they don't want someone else making them look stupid for leaving off basic functionality that they'll implement themselves once people get sick of their flimsy excuse

[kjb434 @ Nov 18th 2008 5:46PM]

Exactly.

I still don't get the reasoning behind this by Apple anyway. Will MMS or "copy and paste" somehow ruin Apple?

[Esat Dedezade @ Nov 18th 2008 5:28PM]

*cough*JB*cough*

[ducky @ Nov 18th 2008 5:56PM]

*cough* Risk an update bricking your phone or AT&T blocking your IMEI/charging you overages/canceling your account for something that should be in the phone in the first place *cough*

Jailbroken apps are useful, but rarely a permanent solution. iPhone users shouldn't have to go through jailbreaking, regardless of how easy it is, to get a basic feature. ESPECIALLY with the amount we're paying AT&T monthly.

[TJ Draper @ Nov 18th 2008 5:29PM]

Seriously, who needs MMS? I have ALWAYS hated MMS! My old Verizon phone had MMS and I ignored it to the best of my ability!

(now let the flame throwing being)

*ducks*

[From My Cube @ Nov 18th 2008 5:32PM]

dont confuse MMS with your MMF fantasy

[who? @ Nov 18th 2008 5:33PM]

Well, the only thing it would send it can already send via email (pictures and audio recordings). If you just enter the right phone number as an email address (ex: [e-mail]) then the iPhone can already send MMS- for free!

I use my iPod Touch like that and it works perfectly.

[Mark @ Nov 18th 2008 5:44PM]

Sending the messages isn't the problem. It's receiving them. They send you a username and password to view the item, but it crashes (in my experience as well as others I have talked to.) Even if the browser didn't crash when trying to view an MMS, it's a hassle to have to go through the process rather than just having the message come through.

[Sergio @ Nov 18th 2008 5:29PM]

hahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah
ahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahaha
hahahahahahhahahaha

Im soorry this is just wayyyy to funny.

[rock99rock @ Nov 18th 2008 5:30PM]

Sometimes i wonder why i still have this thing.

[loocas @ Nov 18th 2008 5:34PM]

Well, anything to help with the 1" d!ck...

[who? @ Nov 18th 2008 5:37PM]

You could go to a Gender Reassignment Surgery Clinic if you really don't like it...

[rock99rock @ Nov 18th 2008 5:40PM]

How did you guys know what i was talking about? I was totally off-topic!

[loocas @ Nov 18th 2008 5:41PM]

We're feel you, man! We feel you...

[rock99rock @ Nov 18th 2008 5:45PM]

Stop feeling me...

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 18th 2008 5:47PM]

You feel like a smooth, flat.... rock.

[rock99rock @ Nov 18th 2008 5:49PM]

Is it flat where the pen is?

[loocas @ Nov 18th 2008 5:53PM]

Not right now... ;)

[Lowest Ranked @ Nov 18th 2008 7:11PM]

The penis mightier than the sword.

[ducky @ Nov 18th 2008 8:11PM]

Hahaha... The speed with which Engadget discussions disintegrate continues to amaze me :)

[ducky @ Nov 18th 2008 5:30PM]

What the sweet hell is Apple's problem with MMS? And don't give me the "get with the program, use email, MMS sucks" excuse. Not everyone has an email enabled phone. Or should everyone just get iPhones and make it easy for Apple?

Apple's success has inflated its corporate ego to the point where it thinks it can get away with cutting basic features.

No, I'm not an Apple hater or a Microsoft lover. Companies aren't something you can have "feelings" for. I'm just a customer unhappy with an unsatisfactory product.

[who? @ Nov 18th 2008 5:39PM]

I feel your pain- when they cut the telegraph capabilities it just drove me nuts!

[NoAndThen @ Nov 18th 2008 6:41PM]

I agree with what you're saying, and don't understand why it's not there, but I've seriously never, EVER wanted to send an MMS. Ever. And all the phones I've had prior have had it.
In fact, no one I know uses MMS... it's just seems stupid, where the only thing its used for is 'hey, look at this awful photo of something stupid, or maybe amusing if you had been there." Nah, I'm good. Graduated High School like 5 years ago...

I didn't think copy and paste was a big deal, but the more I use my iPhone as more than just a phone/email device, I could see where it's useful. But really, still not a big deal to me at all. If I have anything serious I need to get across to someone, I'll either grab my macbook, or make a gawd damn phone call.

[ducky @ Nov 18th 2008 6:51PM]

@NoAndThen

Haha, well, I respect you for that, but some of us enjoy the immaturity in sending a picture of a random bit of graffiti on a wall :P

In any case, it should be there as an option.

[KarlW @ Nov 18th 2008 8:19PM]

Nobody really knows why Apple won't put MMS in to the iPhone. Some fanboys say that Apple is trying to weed out bad technology, but the truth is they've never officially commented on the matter.

I'm not sure how networks deal with MMS, but I'd assume this involves some network changes to provide an API for accessing MMS via the internet (similar to how Visual Voicemail uses EDGE to pull your voicemail from the server). That means it will work if you're with this carrier, but not if you're with another carrier.

Apple have commented that copy and paste is not high on their priority list. Again, nobody knows what is. Aside from C&P, MMS and proper Bluetooth, there's nothing really major that customers are unhappy about. Maybe they should change their priority list to make it more customer-focused.

[who? @ Nov 19th 2008 9:36PM]

Maybe Apple just wants to make sure you can still complain about it you big baby.

[broli @ Nov 18th 2008 5:35PM]

The absence of copy/paste is so bad that other phone manufacturers are advertising it as their main feature. Now THAT'S called marketing.

[bob sakamano @ Nov 18th 2008 5:41PM]

broli that doesnt make sence

[who? @ Nov 18th 2008 5:41PM]

I think Apple should cut all porn on the iPhone- think of the competitors commercials then!!!

[kjb434 @ Nov 18th 2008 5:49PM]

Broli is right. I've seen several adds for WinMo phones and the Android phone advertise this.

Some of the advertising isn't official though. Just signs in wireless provider stores that don't sell iPhone.

They go like this: "We don't sell iPhones, but we do sell phones that "copy and paste"."

[Kendal @ Nov 18th 2008 8:03PM]

Can they copy and paste the iPhone's sales figures?

[mAlex @ Nov 18th 2008 5:38PM]

How about us Danish users?
It's the carrier called "Telia" who's selling the iPhone in both Sweden and Denmark.
Then shouldn't the app also for for us Danes?

[kjb434 @ Nov 18th 2008 5:50PM]

Hopefully. Then one of you smart Swedes or Danes could export the app all over the world!

[Jakob @ Nov 19th 2008 2:44AM]

Of course, Engadget got it a little wrong, TeliaSonera is the Swedish-Finnish concern (who is probably developing the app), and it will be available for at least the iPhone customers at Telia (Sweden and Denmark), Netcom (Norway), Sonera (Finland) and all the Baltic states I don't remember.

And hopefully for the rest of the world, if they don't limit the acces to the Scandinavian App Store.

[David S @ Nov 18th 2008 5:53PM]

MMS never crashed a RAZR, don't know why its so hard for an iPhone.

[Matt Hanson @ Nov 18th 2008 5:58PM]

TOO LITTLE TOO LATE APPLE!!

I'm jumping ship this Friday when the NEW blackberry storm comes out.

I'm tired of you &^%&^%' S !!! holding back on simple features that even the free phones have.

I'm also tired of the endless DROPPED and FAILED CALLS!

Get it right next time:

- Get MMS -------Even free phones have this!!
- Video !!!! We want Video!!
- And for gods sake give us the option to turn off that crappy predictive texting.
- Fix the Dropped calls / Failed calls issue.
- Phone sometimes becomes unresponsive.
- GPS takes forever to pick up my location

And no I do not live in the boonies. I live right in their back yard , right in the Center of Silicon Valley in California.

- Good Riddance APPLE!

- I wanted to like the Iphone but you &^R%&^%'s had to ruin it by being GREEDY!