Apple, AT&T Sued Over Missing iPhone MMS FeatureApple, AT&T Sued Over Missing iPhone MMS Feature

This is rich. Some 10,000 iPhone owners in the state of Louisiana have filed a class action lawsuit against Apple and AT&T. Their complaint? Apple and AT&T advertised that the iPhone would support MMS but they haven't provided the service.The group claims that the lack of MMS support on the iPhone amounts to false advertising. The plaintiffs state that both Apple and AT&T "advertised heavily that the new version of iPhone, the 3G, as well as the even newer version the 3G-S would allow MMS. Apple's print and video advertisements in and on television, the internet, the radio, newspapers and direct mailers all touted the availability of MMS."

As we all know, AT&T has yet to enable MMS for the iPhone. MMS, which stands for multimedia messaging service, is what allows mobile phones to send video clips, audio clips and pictures to other mobile phones. It is commonly calling picture messaging or video messaging.

Currently, if someone sends the iPhone an MMS from another phone, iPhone owners receive a text message with a Web address, user ID and password where the picture may be viewed. Oh, and this has to be done on a computer, not from the iPhone itself. The iPhone is actually capable of sending MMS messages, and Apple's carrier partners in other countries have enabled the feature. AT&T has stated that it needs time to enable MMS on the iPhone, and is only committing to a "late September" launch for the service.

This isn't good enough for those 10,000 people in Louisiana.

The filing makes some interesting statements. One allegation includes, "AT&T is not a carrier which offers MMS! Of course, AT&T is the only carrier in the United States used by the iPhone. In other words, AT&T's towers do not support MMS."

This is clearly wrong. As an AT&T customer, I was able to send MMS messages from one AT&T phone to another as long ago as January 2007.

The claimants also believe that Apple knew AT&T's towers didn't support MMS. "The only excuse offered by AT&T and Apple is a mouseprint disclaimer on the website, in barely readable font, which reads 'MMS Support from AT&T coming in late summer'."

"Late summer" was what AT&T originally said for MMS support, but in reality, it is looking more like late September. By the seasonal calendar, late September may qualify as "late summer" before the official start of fall, but realistically, most people count Labor Day as the unofficial end of the summer season.

EIther way, AT&T hasn't provided the iPhone with the ability to send/receive real MMS messages. Yet.