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Free SMS On IPhone 3G Via AOL IM Client

Posted by kdawson on from the dodging-the-gouge dept.

Glenn Fleishman writes "Jeff Carlson has discovered that you can bypass the 20 cent per message or $5 to $20 per month fees for SMS (text messaging) with the iPhone 3G and AT&T by using AOL's downloadable instant message client for iPhone 2.0, which is free. Just like the full-blown AOL IM system, you can add buddies that are the phone numbers of cell phones you want to send SMS to, and you establish a two-way conduit. The recipient still pays for SMS (if they have a fee) on their end, but if it's another iPhone user, you could coordinate with them via SMS to use instant messaging instead."

6 of 267 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Oh lord by muuh-gnu · · Score: 4, Funny

    But its "on the iPhone!!!!". Just wait till they start patenting those things as novelties because you can do them "on the iPhone!!!". It worked for a slew of obvious so called "on the internet" inventions.

  2. Re:Ummm... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Or, instead of email, I hear these crazy little contraptions let you talk to one another just by talking. It's quite shock to some, but I think you can dial a "phone" number and say something like, "Put AIM on your phone so you don't have to use SMS for texting." when the other person picks up.

  3. Re:Oh lord by Clete2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I figured this out on my LG CU500. Except that the AIM client still goes through SMS. Guess who went over their SMS limit by $30 that month?

  4. Re:Oh lord by radimvice · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just my .02USD

    Actually, your 'two cents' post would cost you .60USD at standard SMS rates...

  5. Re:Ummm... by Helios1182 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I saw a person on some other website complaining about the lack of voice chat on the AIM client. The lack of voice chat... on a phone...

  6. Re:You're missing the point by rohan972 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I don't tell the gas station how much to charge me for pop, chips, etc. They charge what the market will bear. I don't tell Hollister what to charge me for shorts/shirts, they charge what the market will bear. How is this any different? If you don't like what they charge for text messaging, DON'T USE IT (or switch providers).

    I agree. They could even start using a text chat client instead of SMS. I know, perhaps they could even post that idea to popular websites to get people doing it.

    --
    http://marriedmansexlife.com/