How does SMS to MMS actually work?

[oldAGE]

So my kids have Apple 4s devices and my wife and I have SG3s. My office is in an area where I am severely shadowed from a Verizon tower so I get marginal 1X service at best. But, because of what I do, I have beyond robust WiFi access.

So when I send my kids a text... I sit and watch a myriad of nothing really happening other then the little circle timer spinning next to the message and on occasion, a green and red up/down arrow for my WiFi... which really could be anything with this chatty OS and embedded apps. Eventually, the message gets sent. Sometimes a few seconds... sometimes a few minutes.

My question is... how does SMS to MMS really operate in Verizon's network on the SG3? Besides for the obvious voodoo, magic, and smoke and mirrors....

AGE

 

[GSDer]

SMS (text messages with no attachments, totaling 160 characters or less) are sent using the cellular signal, which doesn't have anything to do with the 1x/3G/LTE mobile data connection. (Note that different carriers seem to handle the 160 character limit differently, so you may be able to send a TM with more characters and still have it be treated like an SMS.)

MMS (messages with an attachment, or to a group of recipients, or even just including a 'Subject', or exceeding the carrier-specific character limit) are sent using the mobile data connection, and will NOT be transmitted over a Wi-Fi connection. So if you have a non-existant/poor mobile data connection, your MMS may not be sent/received until you go somewhere with a better signal.

This also accounts for the reason that, even if you're on Wi-Fi, you'll briefly see the mobile data icon show up in the Status bar. HTH.

Sent from my rooted, debloated, deodexed Sinclair ZX-80 running CM 10.2 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Keldog]

You might want to get everyone on Google Hangouts or WhatsApp. It uses data only, and might be a good thing for keeping in touch.