In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
Ripped off on my docomo contract. 2012-07-22, 05:35 PM
I took a 12 month contract out with docomo last October. I remember the shop assistant telling me there were some extras I had to have on my contract for 3 months, or pay some big lump some up front. She told me they would automatically stop charging me after the 3 months for these "extras" whatever they were. Anyways, I'm not exactly sure what they were, so I just said yes to the cheaper option, but think I'm still being charged for them. 地図ナビ iコンシエル iBodymo ゆうゆうコール iチャネル and some others which add up to just over 1500 yen. If I'd have been charged for anything incorrectly in the Uk, I'd be able to get the money back (after a long battle with the company), Though I've heard refunds are non existent in Japan.
Anyone had a similar experience?
P.s She also told me my contract would end automatically once the 12 months is over, but I do not believe her. Anyone know whether that's true too?
In the British context this would indeed be considered a rip off. We have extremely good consumer rights and protections in the UK that are not enjoyed by Japanese citizens and residents.
Docomo is especially naughty with its contracts as it has been known to offer fixed term of up to two years with automatic renewal into a new two year term if you don't manage to get in person to a Docomo shop to cancel the contract within 30 days of the renewal date. Note that on the business side NTT Com offers its customers fixed term contracts which roll into month to month contracts once that initial term is expired.
DOCOMO is well aware of the confusing an restrictive nature of their contracts and are enjoying charging their hapless customers 9500 JPY to exit contracts when they miss the chance to exit in the magic 30 day window. Big slap on the wrists..!
Tata docomo mobile users beware of their GPRS pack. I took a GPRS pack of Rs.65/- for 30 days with 2.5 MB free. On the last day I just browsed to check the score say for maybe 5 minutes maximum and Rs.70/- was deducted from the balance. I called up 121 and they told it is browsing charges and your pack has already expired. I sent mail to [email protected] and i got the following email :- Greetings for the day!
This is with reference to your email dated 26-Jan-2012 regarding balance related issue for your Tata Mobile 7204608152.
I would like to inform you that as per your request balance amount will be credited back to account within 24 hours. Hence Kindly bear with us till such time.
Please feel free to contact us for any further clarifications or call us at 121(Toll Free) from your TATA Mobile phone or 9036012345 from a Non Tata Mobile phone.
Assuring you of our best services at all times.
Warm Regards, Suganya.S TATA Docomo - Customer Service
Later I got another mail as below :
Greetings for the day!
This is with reference to your mail through our website; as regards balance issue for TATA DOCOMO number 7204608152.
I would like to inform you that charge has been levied correctly as per the usage of tata docomo dive-in.
Please feel free to contact us for any further clarifications or call us at 121 from your TATA Mobile phone or 9036012345 from a Non Tata Mobile phone.
Assuring you of our best services at all times.
Warm Regards, Sangeetha.p TATA DOCOMO.
Then I sent email to [email protected] asking how Rs.70/- can be deducted for 5 minutes of browsing. I sent reminder many times but they never to bothered to come back.
Beware Tata Docomo users, constantly check for the balance, check whether any VAS pack has been automatically added to your services. You will just keep on losing money. They are making huge profits by ripping off customers.
Docomo rejiggers pricing schemes to counter free phone apps BY KAZUAKI NAGATA, on APR 10, 2014
Aiming to lure away rivals’ subscribers while retaining their own, NTT Docomo Inc. on Thursday unveiled new monthly subscription plans that include a fixed rate for unlimited domestic calls and its first data sharing plan for smartphone users.
The plans take effect in June.
Docomo said its basic ??2,700 monthly fee will include unlimited calling for smartphone users, which is good news for people who make lots of calls. Docomo customers currently pay ??20 for every 30 seconds on top of the basic service, which costs ??743 a month.
At the same time, those who make few calls may find the new plan pricey.
With the rise of cheap, or even free, voice call applications like Line, mobile phone carriers have had to rethink their strategies.
Docomo President Kaoru Kato stressed that the carrier’s “quality of voice calls and high connectivity” will appeal to consumers.
The nation’s top carrier also unveiled new plans that allow family members to share data consumption, which could help them save on Internet fees.
For instance, one plan offers 10 gigabytes of data for ??9,500 a month, with an extra ??500 a month paid for each family member added.
At the moment, the cheapest fast LTE data plan for smartphones costs ??4,700 a month with a 3 GB limit. Under the new ??9,500 sharing plan, four family members could each pay ??2,750 a month instead, presenting a bargain for people who aren’t heavy Internet users.
For individuals, Docomo currently offers a 3 GB plan for ??4,700 or a 7 GB plan for ??5,700. The new plans charge ??3,500 for 2 GB and ??5,000 for 5 GB, which powers users might find expensive.
Docomo said it will also give discounts to long-term users. Those who have used the company for more than 16 years will receive a ??600 monthly discount for the ??3,500 2 GB plan.
Competition has focused on luring customers from rivals, with giveaways of tens of thousands of yen offered to those who switch. But efforts to improve quality have lagged.
Docomo is apparently trying to differentiate itself with better services that reward loyal customers.
The carrier said its current plans will end in August.
Rejigger does not mean cheaper; these are the same kind of shuffling-the-numbers around tactics that US carriers have been doing for years.
Let’s look at their math: ??9,500 for 10GB of data for a family translates to a base cost of ??9,500 for the first person (??950/1GB), then ??500 for each person added. Question: does each person get an additional 10GB a month, or do they share that data cap? If the latter, that means that a two-person family will pay ??5,000 each for 5GB of data (??1,000/1GB); a three-person family will pay ??3,500 each for only 3.3GB of data (??1,060/1GB). Talk about diminishing returns!
The old individual plans were ??1,566/1GB for the 3GB limit and ??814/1GB for the 7GB plan. The new ones will be ??1,750 and ??1,000 per 1GB respectively, meaning that Docomo is simply raising their prices while lowering the data cap. This is not competitive, it’s just hoping that people don’t know how to do math.
And their final peace offering is to say that if you stick with them for 16 years they’ll start giving you a monthly discount of ??600? How generous. I’m not going to bother breaking down the numbers on that one; it’s just plain insulting.
Docomo: same as before, asking for more. Nobody cares if your phone call quality is the clearest; you still can’t compete with free, and your attempt to charge people more for even that is deplorable.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.
Ripped off on my docomo contract. 2012-07-22, 05:35 PM
I took a 12 month contract out with docomo last October. I remember the shop assistant telling me there were some extras I had to have on my contract for 3 months, or pay some big lump some up front. She told me they would automatically stop charging me after the 3 months for these "extras" whatever they were. Anyways, I'm not exactly sure what they were, so I just said yes to the cheaper option, but think I'm still being charged for them. 地図ナビ iコンシエル iBodymo ゆうゆうコール iチャネル and some others which add up to just over 1500 yen. If I'd have been charged for anything incorrectly in the Uk, I'd be able to get the money back (after a long battle with the company), Though I've heard refunds are non existent in Japan.
Anyone had a similar experience?
P.s She also told me my contract would end automatically once the 12 months is over, but I do not believe her. Anyone know whether that's true too?
In the British context this would indeed be considered a rip off. We have extremely good consumer rights and protections in the UK that are not enjoyed by Japanese citizens and residents.
Docomo is especially naughty with its contracts as it has been known to offer fixed term of up to two years with automatic renewal into a new two year term if you don't manage to get in person to a Docomo shop to cancel the contract within 30 days of the renewal date. Note that on the business side NTT Com offers its customers fixed term contracts which roll into month to month contracts once that initial term is expired.
DOCOMO is well aware of the confusing an restrictive nature of their contracts and are enjoying charging their hapless customers 9500 JPY to exit contracts when they miss the chance to exit in the magic 30 day window. Big slap on the wrists..!
Tata docomo mobile users beware of their GPRS pack. I took a GPRS pack of Rs.65/- for 30 days with 2.5 MB free. On the last day I just browsed to check the score say for maybe 5 minutes maximum and Rs.70/- was deducted from the balance. I called up 121 and they told it is browsing charges and your pack has already expired. I sent mail to [email protected] and i got the following email :- Greetings for the day!
This is with reference to your email dated 26-Jan-2012 regarding balance related issue for your Tata Mobile 7204608152.
I would like to inform you that as per your request balance amount will be credited back to account within 24 hours. Hence Kindly bear with us till such time.
Please feel free to contact us for any further clarifications or call us at 121(Toll Free) from your TATA Mobile phone or 9036012345 from a Non Tata Mobile phone.
Assuring you of our best services at all times.
Warm Regards, Suganya.S TATA Docomo - Customer Service
Later I got another mail as below :
Greetings for the day!
This is with reference to your mail through our website; as regards balance issue for TATA DOCOMO number 7204608152.
I would like to inform you that charge has been levied correctly as per the usage of tata docomo dive-in.
Please feel free to contact us for any further clarifications or call us at 121 from your TATA Mobile phone or 9036012345 from a Non Tata Mobile phone.
Assuring you of our best services at all times.
Warm Regards, Sangeetha.p TATA DOCOMO.
Then I sent email to [email protected] asking how Rs.70/- can be deducted for 5 minutes of browsing. I sent reminder many times but they never to bothered to come back.
Beware Tata Docomo users, constantly check for the balance, check whether any VAS pack has been automatically added to your services. You will just keep on losing money. They are making huge profits by ripping off customers.
Docomo rejiggers pricing schemes to counter free phone apps BY KAZUAKI NAGATA, on APR 10, 2014
Aiming to lure away rivals’ subscribers while retaining their own, NTT Docomo Inc. on Thursday unveiled new monthly subscription plans that include a fixed rate for unlimited domestic calls and its first data sharing plan for smartphone users.
The plans take effect in June.
Docomo said its basic ??2,700 monthly fee will include unlimited calling for smartphone users, which is good news for people who make lots of calls. Docomo customers currently pay ??20 for every 30 seconds on top of the basic service, which costs ??743 a month.
At the same time, those who make few calls may find the new plan pricey.
With the rise of cheap, or even free, voice call applications like Line, mobile phone carriers have had to rethink their strategies.
Docomo President Kaoru Kato stressed that the carrier’s “quality of voice calls and high connectivity” will appeal to consumers.
The nation’s top carrier also unveiled new plans that allow family members to share data consumption, which could help them save on Internet fees.
For instance, one plan offers 10 gigabytes of data for ??9,500 a month, with an extra ??500 a month paid for each family member added.
At the moment, the cheapest fast LTE data plan for smartphones costs ??4,700 a month with a 3 GB limit. Under the new ??9,500 sharing plan, four family members could each pay ??2,750 a month instead, presenting a bargain for people who aren’t heavy Internet users.
For individuals, Docomo currently offers a 3 GB plan for ??4,700 or a 7 GB plan for ??5,700. The new plans charge ??3,500 for 2 GB and ??5,000 for 5 GB, which powers users might find expensive.
Docomo said it will also give discounts to long-term users. Those who have used the company for more than 16 years will receive a ??600 monthly discount for the ??3,500 2 GB plan.
Competition has focused on luring customers from rivals, with giveaways of tens of thousands of yen offered to those who switch. But efforts to improve quality have lagged.
Docomo is apparently trying to differentiate itself with better services that reward loyal customers.
The carrier said its current plans will end in August.
Rejigger does not mean cheaper; these are the same kind of shuffling-the-numbers around tactics that US carriers have been doing for years.
Let’s look at their math: ??9,500 for 10GB of data for a family translates to a base cost of ??9,500 for the first person (??950/1GB), then ??500 for each person added. Question: does each person get an additional 10GB a month, or do they share that data cap? If the latter, that means that a two-person family will pay ??5,000 each for 5GB of data (??1,000/1GB); a three-person family will pay ??3,500 each for only 3.3GB of data (??1,060/1GB). Talk about diminishing returns!
The old individual plans were ??1,566/1GB for the 3GB limit and ??814/1GB for the 7GB plan. The new ones will be ??1,750 and ??1,000 per 1GB respectively, meaning that Docomo is simply raising their prices while lowering the data cap. This is not competitive, it’s just hoping that people don’t know how to do math.
And their final peace offering is to say that if you stick with them for 16 years they’ll start giving you a monthly discount of ??600? How generous. I’m not going to bother breaking down the numbers on that one; it’s just plain insulting.
Docomo: same as before, asking for more. Nobody cares if your phone call quality is the clearest; you still can’t compete with free, and your attempt to charge people more for even that is deplorable.
In addition to app and web Handoff in OS X Yosemite and iOS 8, Apple's new Continuity features include cross-compatible AirDrop, easy tethering, the ability to make and take iPhone calls on iPad and Mac, and the ability to send and receive SMS and MMS from all your green-bubble friends from all your iOS and OS X devices. That means, even if your iPhone is in your bag or in another room, you can still use the carrier messaging channel to stay in contact with Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, and feature phone users all. So how does it work?
Why SMS and MMS - messaging matters - The original iPhone shipped with an SMS app. It was an ugly system that had been retro-fitted for cross-carrier compatibility and had almost nothing in the way of modern messaging features. But it worked on pretty much all phones pretty much all of the time, even if cellular data ?? which was limited to EDGE on the first iPhone ?? was spotty or non-existent. In other words, it was the original cross-platform mobile instant messenger.
Apple didn't even offer MMS at first. The iPhone was an internet communicator and that meant it had real, rich, HTML email, so why even offer MMS? Turns out people wanted to be able to send picture and video messages to their family, friends, and colleagues who weren't using iPhones but did have MMS. So, within a couple years, Apple added MMS.
Carriers charged a fortune for SMS/MMS. Texting, I'm not sure whether jokingly or not, was called the most profitable legal business ever devised by humans.
When iMessage shipped as part of iOS 5 and OS X Lion, Apple sought to solve many of those problems. It offered reply-state notification, similar to BlackBerry's BBM, could handle all sorts of data types, similar to MMS, and used Wi-Fi or cellular data for its transmissions, so it didn't require an extra texting plan. At least not if you were talking to other Apple users.
Like the lack of MMS before it, it was that last part that caused friction. Being able to iMessage from an iPad or iPod touch or Mac is fantastic, unless we have a friend, family member, or colleague using what Apple calls a "lesser device" ?? an Android phone, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, or feature phone. For anyone not on an iPhone, those "green bubbles" simply didn't exist, and the seamless nature of the iMessage experience was broken.
That, the seamlessness of the messaging experience, is what Continuity fixes.
SMS and MMS ins and outs Receiving SMS and MMS on your iPad or Mac is easy. Once your devices are paired, any green bubbles simply appear in the standard Messages app alongside the blue ones, same as they've always done in the iPhone Messages app.
To send an SMS or MMS from your iPad or Mac, just go to Safari, Calendar, or Contacts, pick a number, and choose to send a message. The conversation will likewise start, or continue, in the same Messages app.
All of it will simply be sent from your iPad or Mac, to your iPhone, and out over the carrier SMS/MMS system, just like any other text or multi-media message.
Bottom line SMS and MMS might be old technologies but they're still popular technologies. More importantly, with iMessage remaining exclusive to Apple devices, they're the only cross-platform messaging system built-into the iPhone, and one that didn't previously exist on the iPad or Mac. That made for an incomplete experience.
Apple's current business model means we're probably not going to see iMessage for Android or Windows or the web any time soon, nor are third-party messengers like WhatsApp or Skype ever going to enjoy built-in status. That again leaves SMS and MMS.
And that means, thanks to iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite, as long as iPad and Mac customers also have an iPhone anywhere in the room or the vicinity, they get the same SMS and MMS access on those devices that they get on the phone itself.