Difference between data and text messages???
This may appear to be a stupid post but read on before condemning. With the iPhone and other phones that incorporate web browsing and phone calls/texting, I'm having a harder and harder time distinguishing between text messages and data. Probably because I am an old fashioned cell phone user with no data plans and am a computer geek. So i don't understand why text messaging should be any different from data. What defines a text message anyway? I guess if at&t can charge $.20 for a 30 byte text message but allow unlimited data, there is a difference to at&t.
I think I'm correct that a text message initiated by me has to start from the SMS button. If I never go there, I won't ever be charged with sending text message, right? But I'm worried that others will send me text. I have that feature turned off on my old cell phone now because I was receiving text junk mail and at&t has no way to turn off junk text messages except to turn off all the data features.
I don't have iPhone now but will get one when the pipeline fills up. I will use it almost entirely for Internet and phone calls. I will not do any texting. But I want to be sure that I will not be charged for text messages sent to me. Is there any way to turn that part off?
This is more than an academic argument to me. My daughter is now in Italy with a phone (not iPhone) that has no data plan and which has all data/text/SMS turned off (at least in the states) but she is receiving text messages from her Italian friends even though she told them not to text her and I am being charged $1.29 each message for roaming and $.20 for each message and some unknown Italian data charge.
When I get my iPhone I will not get a text message plan and I don't want to be charged for text messages because i don't plan on sending any. So back to my original quandary: if I just use Safari, GPS locating, voice calls, and never press the SMS button will I be safe? And is there any way to be sure I don't start getting junk text messages with the iPhone?
I think I'm correct that a text message initiated by me has to start from the SMS button. If I never go there, I won't ever be charged with sending text message, right? But I'm worried that others will send me text. I have that feature turned off on my old cell phone now because I was receiving text junk mail and at&t has no way to turn off junk text messages except to turn off all the data features.
I don't have iPhone now but will get one when the pipeline fills up. I will use it almost entirely for Internet and phone calls. I will not do any texting. But I want to be sure that I will not be charged for text messages sent to me. Is there any way to turn that part off?
This is more than an academic argument to me. My daughter is now in Italy with a phone (not iPhone) that has no data plan and which has all data/text/SMS turned off (at least in the states) but she is receiving text messages from her Italian friends even though she told them not to text her and I am being charged $1.29 each message for roaming and $.20 for each message and some unknown Italian data charge.
When I get my iPhone I will not get a text message plan and I don't want to be charged for text messages because i don't plan on sending any. So back to my original quandary: if I just use Safari, GPS locating, voice calls, and never press the SMS button will I be safe? And is there any way to be sure I don't start getting junk text messages with the iPhone?
dells, Windows XP
