Line2 for iOS Gets Updated with MMS and Location Sharing

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I’m a big fan of the Voice Over iP service Line2. The company’s iOS app is clean, fast and lets you make clear calls, especially when you are in a high-speed WiFi network. (They also offer an Android app and I’m hoping to see a version for Windows Phone soon but I have not heard anything about that… Yet.) I use the app all the time and, now that Elana has gone all Apple I’m encouraging her to do the same. Why? Simple! If we use Line2 enough we will be able to drop down to a lower bucket of minutes on out AT&T wireless account and THAT saves money.

There was, however, one thing Line2 was missing that the major carriers still offered- MMS. Now I’m not a huge MMS-user but I do see the reasons for it and if Line2 truly wants to play on the same level as AT&T, Verizon and the other big boys MMS is something they need to offer. And now they do! With the latest update to The Line2 iOS app MMS is enabled. Here’s what they have to say about it.

The world’s first and only app that allows you to place calls over WiFi, 3G Data, and Cellular voice networks using the same number has now added MMS picture texting to its growing list of carrier-grade features. Line2 enables customers to add a second phone line to their iPhone or Android phone, or turn an iPad into a desktop phone.

One might wonder why it has taken this long for Line2 to add MMS to their app. It comes as no surprise that Line2’s technology was not the issue but rather

Despite being ready to launch since the Fall of 2011, the carriers (such as Verizon) have been blocking MMS interconnect for OTT (“Over the Top”) services like Line2. Working through the CTIA, they are trying to force additional restrictions that could make it impossible for companies like Line2, Google Voice, Pinger, Gogii and others to compete effectively.

In the mean time, Line2 has developed a work-around that is now available in the app store for iOS devices, and will soon be available on Android. Customers can send photos to people’s cell phones via a link that can be accessed by the receiver without needing to enter a special code. The service still cannot receive pictures from outside the Line2 network because the carriers are not delivering pictures sent to Line2 customers. So for true MMS, both sender and receiver need the Line2 app.

 

It is worth noting Line2 also offers true “carrier-grade SMS” (regular texting), call waiting, caller ID support, call forwarding, conferencing, and additional business features that are important to professionals and small companies.

Version 8.0, the version that supports all these features is available now. As I noted at the beginning of this post, I like and use Line2 enough that I bought a year’s subscription to it and am happy I did. You can learn more here on the company website.

 

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

4 Comments on "Line2 for iOS Gets Updated with MMS and Location Sharing"

  1. I like the Line2 concept – one step close to true and proper VoIP service, but although they added MMS “in house” it isn’t really true and proper MMS service until they get interoperability with other carriers.  I get that the restriction isn’t theirs, but it isn’t a complete implementation either.until that is working.  MMS isn’t critical to me, but I know a LOT of people for whom it is and it has to “just work”.  This doesn’t – not quite – not yet.  So I can’t recommend it to others – yet. Hopefully, however, pressure can be brought to bear on the carriers to stop blocking and play nice!

    • Wayne Schulz | April 27, 2012 at 9:41 am |

      Agree with Chris – as near as I can tell the MMS works from Line2 to Line2 and sometimes works from Line 2 to Cell.

      I was not able to get my AT&T MMS to Line2. Not a big deal as I think Whatsapp etc have largely taken over the MMS market.

  2. Rodney St. John | April 28, 2012 at 3:48 pm |

    Dan, if Elana is iPhone-ized now, why are you worried with text and mms…. iMessage works great and it is free?  Also, why aren’t you using the A-List feature of AT&T and get free calls to each other?

    • Great points Rodney. All good points but I really wasn’t thinking in terms of our back and forth in specific but overall phone use.

      Most likely written with Siri. Please excuse any and all errors.

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