[merissa1408]

When I bought my Storm for Verizon I was told that sending Instant Messages through AIM counts as SMS messaging, thus requiring a text messaging plan.

I didn't believe the guy.

So I've been searching this forum and the rest of the internet for the TRUTH to how AIM is considered at Verizon.

WHAT I FOUND

50% Say AIM messages count as SMS on Verizon
HOWEVER
50% Say AIM messages count as DATA on Verizon


SO WHO IS RIGHT????
My lifestyle requires that I have the ability to text, whether it be regular texting or AIM messaging. However, I can't afford to do both. Please help me find the truth about this and let me know:

Can I drop my texting plan and simply contact people through AIM on my Storm??? (If you are part of the 50% choosing this, does IMing to a persons mobile phone count as SMS or still DATA?)


Please help!

[rachamphetamine]

My own personal experience is that the AIM client offered at http://mobile.blackberry.com uses data. I installed it over the pre-installed client on the Storm.

[rachamphetamine]

Also, I don't think the mobile client allows you to SMS people through IM like you can on a computer. I have never tried this, however. I'll give it a shot now to see how it goes.

[JSanders]

Greetings, welcome to the BBForums.

Various IM apps handle it differently. AS I RECALL, the OZ app which handled AIM, was SMS text. Most ALL others use data.

The AIM application itself maybe text. Personally, were I you, I would find one (like JiveTalk) that uses data and connects with ALL Instant Message clients, AIM, Yahoo, Gtalk and more. Covers them all. So you are not stuck with only AIM.

JiveTalk is $29 for a lifetime license, and $19 for a license for your one device. It is worth it.

[rachamphetamine]

Okay, you can SMS someone through the mobile AIM app. I just added my own phone number and sent a text and sure enough, it popped right up in my SMS inbox.

[JSanders]

I think Rach is correct, the current AIM app uses data. The old OZ app for Aim, used SMS. It was a pain the ruckus.

[rachamphetamine]

Plus, JiveTalk isn't out for the Storm yet Maybe soon... I hope... When it does come out, it is a wonderful app and I also highly recommend it.

It's been two billing cycles now that I've used the mobile.blackberry.com AIM client and I haven't incurred any text message charges from it, so it's a decent solution for now.

[korp]

I wouldn't be suprised if the app that comes with the phone uses sms just because when you look at your account on another computer it actually has you on mobile status not "online" ... but things like JiveTalk definitely are data.

[rachamphetamine]

The AIM client that I have that uses data also shows me as mobile when I sign on.

[merissa1408]

on my Storm the AOL Instant Messenger that is available in the Application Center is by Research In Motion Limited (RIM) ... I have read several times that the RIM version rather than the VZW version (?) uses DATA... which would be what I want


Is this correct?

[rachamphetamine]

I would just download the one from the mobile BlackBerry site to be safe.

[AgTitan06]

I have a storm, and I use Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo Msgr, and MSN Msgr ALL DAY LONG, and I can promise you it counts as data, because my sms count for the month is at like 50...I go through about 250 messages a day on the messenger programs, so there's no way they charge sms for the msgr programs. I have the RIM versions, not VZW.

[vooboo13]

Wirelessly posted

I use instango and it uses data.

[Dawg]

The app from verizon uses SMS the app from RIM uses data Thats why you get the 50/50

[theduskes]

Jive talk cannot handle very large contact lists...FYI...
Mine was crashing on the 8830 due to the large list....
I would advise you to actually find out what the limits are.....ASK im+ as well...
their software has and added feature of lsearching for contacts within your list......

[k9th]

I want to know why VZW and every other carrier charges for text messages if you have a data plan? Data is data and a digital packet is a digital packet no matter what the content. To differentiate and call one data and the other text is disingenuous at best - and outright lying at worst. There is no difference in the digital world between voice, data, text, IM or whatever. It is all digital packets travelling along the wire or across the airwaves. To me, some litiguous attaorney should file a class action lawsuit and pursue the double charging that these carriers are doing by charging for text messages if you have a data plan.

[Dawg]

Originally Posted by k9th

I want to know why VZW and every other carrier charges for text messages if you have a data plan? Data is data and a digital packet is a digital packet no matter what the content. To differentiate and call one data and the other text is disingenuous at best - and outright lying at worst. There is no difference in the digital world between voice, data, text, IM or whatever. It is all digital packets travelling along the wire or across the airwaves. To me, some litiguous attaorney should file a class action lawsuit and pursue the double charging that these carriers are doing by charging for text messages if you have a data plan.

Because they can. Why must it always come down to a suit geez dont you think there are far worse things in the world then being charged for a text message. Its there network they can run it the way they see fit. If you dont like it dont use the service. Plain and simple no lawyers needed.

[k9th]

So apparently your OK with being lied to and double and triple charged for the same service. I am not so complacent. Do you realize how many billions of dollars they garner by double and triple charging for their services? It was different when things were analog, but preying upon the ignorance of the general public and exploiting that ignorance is unacceptable to me. They will not stop on their own since it is a sizable revenue stream that positively affects their balance sheet and that is why litigation will be required to put a stop to it.

[rachamphetamine]

I sincerely wish you luck in finding a carrier who doesn't charge like that.

That said, let's get back on topic in figuring out what IM clients use SMS and what IM clients use data. I don't believe lawsuits were mentioned in the first topic of this post and if you'd like to continue there's a Rants and Raves section for it.

[ScottRPriester]

Originally Posted by merissa1408

When I bought my Storm for Verizon I was told that sending Instant Messages through AIM counts as SMS messaging, thus requiring a text messaging plan.

I didn't believe the guy.

I work for VZW. I sell the product every day.

Instant messages are counted as text, period

End of story.