Awhile back we posted how Sprint kept their word and finally released a PictureMail (MMS) application for all their WM devices.

One weird quirk is that Sprint chose to bypass Palm's threaded messaging app for PictureMail use, requiring you to send the picture via the "Pictures & Videos" program instead. This only applies to the Treo 800w. Lame.

Thanks to NightRaven and Vetack, who were working on the WM6.1 ROM for the 700wx, they figured a way to enable the built-in MMS capabilities using Palm's program. Next, Ebag333 applied this new trick to the Treo 800w and we now have a working version with a simple .cab install. This makes a much more integrated system.

Video and audio clips are able to be sent as well as pictures, of course. Click here for the thread and a slew of other pictures of the app in action.

Great work guys!

Small Correction: You can send multiple images and a text in one message.

To: Dieter Bohn (dieter@wmexperts.com)
From: Phil Nickinson(phil.nickinson@wmexperts.com)
Subject: Re: Sprint Picture Mail App

Dieter,

You must be mistaken. The Sprint Picture Mail App has finally been officially released? On Windows Mobile? I don't believe it. Somebody pinch me.

It's not gonna be like when we got that takedown notice/were forced to go into hiding for three weeks for that leaked version we've reported on in the past, is it? I can't handle that again. Thought I applaud your ability to make a casserole from Spam and saltines. That was mighty tasty.

Anyway, this just can't be. Sprint with an honest-to-goodness picture mail app? Never thought I'd see the day. But sure enough, here's the link to the cab file.

Uh oh. Knew it couldn't be all good news. Malatesta says that his Treo 800w on Sprint isn't supported. That's a pretty big bummer. Actually, it's pretty friggin' ridiculous. Doesn't even work if you disable Palm's custom SMS and use the default Windows Mobile 6.1 style, as detailed in our forums.

I wonder if it'll work on the HTC Touch Diamond. ... Granted, it doesn't have Palm's customizations. But surely Sprint wouldn't screw over both of its latest and greatest devices (not to mention the people who use them). Then again, this is Sprint we're talking about. The more things change, I guess ...

Those kids over at Everything Q sure were on the ball to spot this one.

Phil

(And thanks, Scott, for the tip!)

Update: OK, that rant about the 800w might have been a little premature. (You know we've got high hopes for ya!) A couple of our commenters have noted that there's another link where you can choose your device. Give that a shot. Thanks, xdalaw and dannzeman.

If you've been following our series "Why does Sprint not have MMS (aka PictureMail) on its WM phones", you would have known that Sprint was on record as saying they were bringing this function to their WM lineup "soon".

Well soon has come what with the launch of the much anticipated HTC Touch Diamond yesterday. It was known from the leaked manual that this device would be the first WM phone on Sprint to have native PictureMail. ZOMG.

And sure enough not less than 24 hrs after the announcement of the Touch Diamond's availability, the .cab to install PictureMail is floating around the 'nets, thanks in part to no2chem¹, well known from the ROM cooking fellas at PPCGeeks.

Click the link to see some screen shots, get the download and hear about some lingering issues before you install...

All is not great yet, however. Some are successfully installing this on their devices (including yours truly) but are getting odd "G66: There was an error trying to register your phone" errors (despite having PictureMail enabled on the account) to problems with high memory requirements. That latter part is especially pertinent to the memory anemic HTC Mogul. Users have had to reportedly shut down all their plugins and running apps just to get this bugger up and running. On the 800w, this has not been an issue.

Easter egg: It appears that there may be some type of additional functionality not yet enabled--Photobucket and MySpace support. At least the registry strings are there...

So hackers and tweakers: put your nerd caps back on and lets get down to brass tacks to get this thing running on all WM devices (that is, unless Sprint wants to lend a hand?).

¹: [link removed by Verisign's request]

Well, just as soon as we write that article up detailing the long, sordid and stupefying history of Sprint and their lack of desire to implement MMS (aka "Picture Mail") on their Windows Mobile devices, word is Sprint is "working on it" and with Microsoft no less (woo that was a long sentence).

Once again the news comes via Sprint's Buzz site and a recent online chat on the topic of CTIA (see our coverage here). When asked by Sprint customer "Steve" about their lack of support for Picture Mail, acting Chief Marketing Officer John Garcia responded with:

We're working with Microsoft to build a PictureMail application that will work on their Windows product to give you a similar experience as our other products. As some of you may be aware, currently, you can actually do this on a Windows product, but you have to do it through e-mail or Bluetooth. We realize this is cumbersome. We're working to enhance this for you soon.

Holla! As we said in the article, Sprint was currently re-evaluating their position and while it didn't look promising, things can change rapidly. Looks like that happened, what with the combined outcry of thousands of WM nerds :-)

Now the waiting begins. Maybe we should supplant our Treo 800w contest with a "When will MMS on Sprint actually happens?". Any takers? Anyone wanna bet on the 800w having it when released? (we're opting on "no", but would love to be surprised!

Small Update: Vyruz Reaper correctly notes in our forum that indeed the Treo 800w delay may be partially related to this recent turn-of-events.

Reportedly from his sources, Sprint recently had Palm "add some new software" to the device which caused some hiccups. Hmmmm...

Thanks to Doc31 for the tip and "Steve" for asking the right question!

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One question we get a lot as moderators or technical writers in the WM world has to do with Sprint and their MMS service called “Picture Mail”, specifically why is the service not offered for all Windows Mobile devices (as well as BlackBerry) on that network?

For a long time, it was common practice for users to download a 3rd party program aka ArcSoft MMS Composer aka “the MMS hack” to enable the feature, but even that stopped working at the beginning of February. In short, Sprint figured out how to directly block just WM users form the service.

Why so? Will it change? What are the hacks to get around the block? Are you violating Sprint’s Terms and Services? Read on for the scoop…

Read the rest of this entry »