Flutter: MMS finally comes to iPhone – Kind of …
After the naysayers, Juice Wireless Incorporated has developed a native iPhone application with one sole purpose, sending multimedia messages to other phone numbers.
Hit the jump for a full review …
Released onto the App Store last Friday, Flutter [App Store] is a half-baked attempt at an MMS client, for iPhone.
New to MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service)?
According to Wikipedia
“Multimedia Messaging Service, MMS for short, is a cellular telephone standard for sending messages that include multimedia objects (images, audio, video, rich text). MMS is an extension of the SMS standard, allowing longer message lengths and using WAP to display the content. Its most popular use is sending photographs from camera-equipped handsets, although it is also popular as a method of delivering ringtones as well. The standard is developed by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), although during development it was part of the 3GPP and WAP groups.”
Before we Start …
Juice Wireless Inc have stated that due to an App Store error on Apple’s part, Flutter is currently available in the ‘Wordwide’ store, meaning it is available to everyone. They state this was not the intention, and the application has not been internationally formatted yet. However, Juice Wireless also states that the application can be used internationally, for now, using the following methods:
“If you are outside the US, you must register with international dial code before your number, and the contacts in your phone book must also have international dial codes before their numbers. Sorry about this, but the app isn’t supposed to be available outside the US yet! When we do internationalize it, you won’t have to change everything into international format!
Check out Flutterpic.com soon which has a FAQ. Not live yet. Will be by Monday. In meantime, you can check out a short FAQ at: Flutterpic.blogspot.com“
The international dial code for the United Kingdom is +44.
In this case, your number(s) would look like +44XXXXXXXXXX (were ‘X’ is a digit).
Initial Setup
In order to use Flutter, you need to be prepared to give some information to Juice Wireless. This includes surrendering your full first and last name, date of birth, phone number and valid e-mail address. Once this information has been registered you must wait for a text message in which a password will be enclosed for you to activate the Flutter service on your iPhone.
I have received a password here in the UK, and can now show you Flutter!
Using Flutter
Opening Flutter results in a screen displaying options for you to add recipients, add a subject, and finally add your ‘multimedia’, which for now is limited to only photos and text. Touching the ‘Compass’ icon found on the tool bar above the keyboard allows you to use iPhone 3G’s built in location services API to grab your location and attach it to your Flutter message. This service then allows your recipient to view your exact location using Maps, on an iPhone, when they eventually receive the message. Now this is pretty kool, but it could also be seen as an invasion of privacy to some people. Touching the camera button will bring up the built in camera API to offer you a choice of choosing and existing photo from your photo library, or taking a new photo with the iPhone’s camera.
To add a recipient to your message, simply touch the blue plus in the ‘To’ field. In something I’ve never seen before, Flutter will not bring up the built in ‘Contacts’ API, but instead list your contacts in it’s own user interface. As I said before, in order for Flutter to send the message to your UK recipient with a UK number you need to modify your contact(s) to reflect the UK’s dial code, in place of the first ’0′ in the number. In this case, your number(s) would look like +44XXXXXXXXXX (were ‘X’ is a digit).
Good Idea, Bad Implementation
MMS has been absent for so long on the iPhone, when Flutter hit the store on Friday it’s fair to say everyone went crazy. Especially seeing as the application is currently FREE! However, there are shortcomings. Flutter cannot receive MMS messages from other recipients who may have iPhone’s like you – Sucks, right? It gets better. Flutter also doesn’t actually send a photo to your recipient. Instead, just like o2.co.uk/m, and AT&T’s viewmymessage.com, Flutter only sends your recipient a link to a compressed, low res version of the original image.
How does it Work?
Flutter, according to Juice Wireless, uses a SDK-compliant ‘work-around’ to send messages over Wifi or the cellular network. The images are compressed and assigned a unique address on Juice Wireless’ servers where your recipient can then access your sent photo by touching or clicking the link in the original ‘MMS’ message.
Price
There’s one thing we can’t fault Flutter for, and that’s it’s price – As of writing this, it doesn’t have one! Yes, it’s FREE. Juice Wireless also states messages are not charged to be sent, nor do they charge your recipient to receive them.
Overall
This application has potential. Juice Wireless seem to be an organisation which listen wholeheartedly to their users, and have stated they will add features if demand deserves it.
“You can’t receive MMS in this version. It’s theoretically possible using a work around (just as we use a work around to send messages). If there’s enough demand, we’ll do it. Check out the FAQ at the blog.”
While this isn’t the ‘God Send’ that is ‘real MMS for iPhone’, it is a damn sight better than o2.co.uk/m and trying to remember your phone number as well as a 6-9 digit code.
Juice Wireless Support
if your having problems getting Flutter to work, or having troubles with initial setup, Juice Wireless are providing public support at: flutter@juicecaster.com
Provisional Rating: 3.5/10 (A flawed application with future potential)
App Store: Flutter
This entry was posted on Sunday, September 14th, 2008 at 4:11 PM and is filed under App Store, iPhone. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Arron
Hi, I'm Arron. I'm 20 and I am currently working as a freelance graphic designer and blogger. While managing RazorianFly, I currently also write for AppBoy.com, have previously written for 148Apps.com and have been approached by many others. I've been into graphic design for about 7 years now, and now offer iPhone and iPad Interface Design to developers professionally. Along with James, I also co-founded our brilliant new shortening service, RFly.Me. I'm very much tuned into both the App Store and Apple in general. I like the design, presentation and clarity of a product. If it doesn't cut it I'll tell you straight. I'm on Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo and Facebook!
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“MMS has been absent for so long on the iPhone”
Apple made a statement that they were never planning to include MMS for a good reason, MMS messages are resized and compressed due to the average screen size of other mobile phones. This lowers the network costs whilst giving no degradation to viewers on 99.99% of handsets. Obviously iPhone is different – it’s screen is much larger.
The statement read something along the lines that they didn’t want MMS to be shown on iPhone screens as it would look very poor which would be of little use to iPhone users and also didn’t make the iPhone look good.
Not saying I agree or disagree with their reasoning but it does make sense to a degree.
David, the only problem with this, is that Apple decides what’s good for us, and “protects” us against these low res images. It’s crap. I don’t care if it’s lower res, as I doubt anyone else would. That’s not the point of MMS. If you wanted a higher res photo, that’s what email is for. If you want an instant photo, from a family member or friend to share one of life’s instant moments, then we iPhone lose out, while owning one of the most sophisticated phones on the market, can’t do what my mothers Razr can do. Pathetic.
Thanks Apple for deciding what I need.
Hi Arron,
Thanks for the great write up. Very sober, balanced approached. Disagree with your 3.5 score. I’d personally give it about 6/10 right now for the 1.0 release, but then again I’m biased
“In something I’ve never seen before, Flutter will not bring up the built in ‘Contacts’ API, but instead list your contacts in it’s own user interface.”
We tried that. Too buggy. Currently working on it for 1.1. We also have contact searching etc. hopefully ready for 1.1. You should also be able to start typing directly in the To: field (ideally).
Picture compression: Hmm, bit hit and miss right now. We try to optimize the viewing page based on the phone in question. We’re working on fixing this today. Fortunately it’s server side so we can do it on the fly.
BTW full FAQ is up now (will need to add stuff about international numbers … as this version wasn’t supposed to support international)
http://www.juicecaster.com/flutter/faq_full.php
Hey Amir,
We review applications in their current state. I have attached a provisional rating which can change after using future versions of the product. It’s a great application with a lot of potential, but currently, it has some major flaws.
I hope I can review the product in the future and increase that rating. If you wish to use me as a beta tester for future versions of Flutter, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks for stopping by to comment.
Sure thing Aaron, thanks for the clarification. Pls drop me an email with your contact info and we’ll put you down on the beta list. cheers!
Hey Amir,
I have fired off an e-mail to you containing my unique iPhone identifier.
I look forward to beta testing future products from you!
Awesome, thanks!
PS. Would appreciate it if you removed the email address. Spam alert!
Removed the address, sorry about that!
@Paul, you don’t need to preech to me thats why i said:
“Not saying I agree or disagree with their reasoning but it does make sense to a degree.”
I’m sure they tested it, imo, mms looked crap on my nokia with standard sized screen and sucked when viewed on my mac. I’d rather be free from sucky pictures. But if you really do have a bee in ya bonnet about it then I am sure your network operator provides you with an email address that your MMS are diverted to should they not be delivered to the number O2 certainly does. ta ta
Did anyone else get this email? (nice update on the way)
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Hello Folks:
I’m Lex and I lead the Flutter app team here at JuiceCaster. First of all, a big thank you for downloading the app! We hope you enjoy Flutter. Some of you may have experienced ‘issues’ with Flutter over the weekend. We are very sorry this happened. I want to explain what we’ve done about these issues:
1. The website for Flutter, the FAQs and support links are now up and running at: http://www.flutterpic.com
2. If you are in North America and did not get your password, we were having a problem with our SMS provider. Everything’s fixed now. On your iPhone, launch Flutter and try the “Resend Password” option. This should do the trick.
3. If you are outside North America (in EU, Australia, Asia, etc.) and you didn’t get your password, please remember to sign up with international dial code e.g. +44. Once you do that, please try the “Resend Password” trick.
4. Some of you have commented on the thumbnail picture quality on the receiving phone. This one is tough because we have to optimize for hundreds of different phone makes and models. We are working on some ideas to improve this. Stay tuned.
5. Some of you have said that the location information is sometimes a bit off. We have noticed this as well and are working on it now.
6. Flutter doesn’t send ‘true MMS’? There was a fair bit of confusion around this and the early reviews reflect this. Here’s why we think our way of sending picture messages is better (tell us if you disagree!): http://flutterpic.blogspot.com/2008/09/iphone-mms-kind-of.html
We’re cranking away on these things. In the meantime, enjoy Flutter 1.0. Your input really counts. We are using it to make Flutter version 1.1 now.
Thanks,
The Flutter Team
woohooo
i’m really excited now!1