Die Text Messaging, Die!!!

I can’t wait for text messaging charges to die. (In America) The costs for traditional text messaging (SMS) are stupid and overpriced. While U.S. carriers are getting dinged for their lame data prices and practices, the charges for text messaging are just as bad, but fly under the radar. Thankfully, there are a number of alternatives that have made or will make text messaging obsolete (for smartphone users).

Before I get to those, I wanted to point out that AT&T sees that the death is near for traditional text messaging. According to Engadget, the company will only be offering one text messaging option starting August 21, 2011: the $20 unlimited package. I see this as one last cash grab before traditional text messaging kicks the bucket.

As I mentioned earlier, there are a number of alternatives to traditional text messaging. BlackBerry fans have been enjoying the excellent BlackBerry Messenger for years. Google Voice users have been enjoying free text messaging to the U.S. and Canada since launch. Facebook recently launched a standalone Facebook Messenger app for Android and iOS. The upcoming Apple iOS 5 includes iMessage, which is like a better and more elegant version of BlackBerry Messenger. A few of you have joined me in group messaging sessions through Google+. Those are just some of the great alternatives to traditional SMS.

Of course these solutions won’t work for everyone. Some people are still on “dumb” phones, others rely heavily on MMS, and international solutions can be a problem. I send a lot of international texts and resort to a stupid system because Google Voice doesn’t have an international option. To use the same number I have for calls, I receive international texts on Google Voice and send them through Skype, which displays my GV number as the caller ID. Until Google gets off its ass and officially enables international texting, I have to rely on this MacGyver solution.

What do you ladies and gents think of the future of text messaging? Do you think it’s on its way out? Will iMessage and the popularity of the iPhone help quicken the demise of SMS? Do you use any of the solutions I mentioned above? Or maybe you use an app from a smaller company, like Handcent of ChompSMS? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

Author: RPadTV

https://rpad.tv

19 thoughts on “Die Text Messaging, Die!!!”

  1. I use KiK for messaging. It's platform neutral so everyone can use it. No phone number needed. If someone has a dumbphone, they can call me or send an email. I have texting blocked on my account. In fact I looked and one of the last messages received on my iOS SMS app is one from February 2010.

    If iMessage connects like iChat does to most networks I might use it. Otherwise I'll stick with KiK since a lot of ppl I know use android and blackberry.

  2. I really don't text a whole lot.

    It pisses me off when some people only want to communicate that way. What's worse is that here in CA, it's illegal to talk on a phone and drive so people will use the excuse "well, I thought you may be driving… but why didn't you text me back?". And I'm like "I have a headset, idiot. But trying to text on the freeway could easily kill me."

    So… I knda like using the excuse "I only get 100 texts a month so I can't text you that much… call me." If AT&T does this… I can't use that anymore unless I can lower my bill with the limited option. I'll have to wait it out.

    As for my thoughts for the future… I think Facebook or someone the like will find a way to consolidate the entire social networking experience. The kids nowadays live online. It's no longer about being at the party as much as it is posting pictures of the party to prove you were there. They Foursquare all of their movements.

    Even though I see Big Brother all over the phenomenon, you can bet your ass I'm gonna make sure my kids get into it. That way I won't be calling all of their friends' parents everyday to see where they are the way our parents did.

    Around 5:30 everyday, my phone would start ringing off the hook and it was the parents of my friends trying to find them. These would last about 3 hours everyday. When they came later than ten, you started to worry and also started calling people trying to find them.

    Beepers changed all of that.

      3. Oddly… I probably would be okay if they Facetimed me.

        I keep trying to get my mom on Skype, but she's old and doesn't want to accept that those video communication screens from Star Trek are real now.

  3. I only use text messaging. My phone has no internet at all, not that I would want to use ATT's slow internet to begin with.

  4. I use txt messaging a lot (but not as much as I used to). Now I'm probably only around 700-800 txts a month. I used to be around 3000-4000.

    The only problem I have with the idea of traditional txt messaging going away is that I dont know many people that have similar phones. I have never once used the blackberry messenger because I only know two people with a blackberry and neither of them use it. If i want to txt them that's not a big deal, and the messenger app isn't needed. I hear that's a great option for international messaging though (lots of foreign students at Ball State kept blackberries for that purpose only).

    The option that Smartguy uses seems to be a good one, as it incorporates different OS's, which is a downside to iMessenger and blackberry messenger. Google voice seems to be a good alternative, but seems overly complicated for no reason in comparison to just sending a standard txt message.

    I will agree completely though that txt messaging and data usage charges are ridiculously high simply because consumers pay the price and the companies know they can get away with charging exorbitant amounts of money for these things.

  5. I work on phones and talk all damn day so I would rather text. For international texting I use WhatsApp and for calling I use Tango.

  6. I can now say that I have lived through and earthquake. I guess there was a quake in DC or VA and we felt it up here.

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