I just picked up a used 7100i but its practically brand new because im starting to text alot and I couldnt stand using a regular phone for texting and I also wanted a QWERTY keyboard but for some reason I cant create text messages (SMS correct?). I dont have texting on my plan because I usually just pay the monthly fee for it but I plan on getting it soon but anyway how do I get texting on this phone? I also tried unlocking my phone to see if that would help but I doubt it would and it said that everything was unknown. Thanks for any help!

The 7100i does not support sending text messages on Nextel's network.

You *might* be able to send an MMS message.

Also how do you change ringtones with these phones? And thanks for the info... Looks like ill be going back to my old phone and getting rid of the 7100... Anyone looking for a 7100 in excellent shape? I guess its time to change carriers.

Are you sure you cannot use SMS with the 7100i? because i talked to the previous owner and she told me that she would text all the time with it.

When I had a 7100i, the command was 'Compose MMS'. There is no SMS option. But MMS is pretty much the same thing anyway (except with pics, if you want).

Without a plan, the messages will cost you $0.20 each.

Even compose MMS doesnt show up for me. Im gonna call nextel and add text to see if that does anything and isnt mms sending texts and pics to emails? I think it says when I go to make a new message that it can only save a draft since I have no messaging service or something like that.

Do you have a BlackBerry Data Plan on your account?
Without a BlackBerry Data Plan you can't MMS.

I just got so I dont have anything with it other than my old plan that I currently have on my i860. So I need to upgrade to a Data plan for it to work? and is MMS text messaging? or is it emailing? Im still a little unsure on the differences between SMS and MMS.

SMS = text only
MMS = text w/pics

Oh ok so ill still be able to send text messages to other people on diffrent networks and they wont be emails correct? Now I just have to find out if I can upgrade my plan to a Everything 450 and I should be able to text with the 7100i correct? Thanks for all the help and clearing things up for me.

Yes, with the Everything plan you should be able to text fine.

Will i still be able to receive texts without that plan? only because it may be a day or two before i call nextel to find out. Ive been too busy lately for anything.

Thanks for all the help. I just found out my Nextel contract has been expired for 6 months so ill be transfering to T Mobile.

I send MMS messages on my 7100i without a problem.

You probably have a data plan... and MMS is not text messaging.
SMS is text messaging.
MMS is multimedia messaging.