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Xeo · Jun 10, 2008, 07:31 AM

So I live in Japan and the iPhone is coming. I have a few questions that could be answered by current iPhone users. Are there smilies/emoticons on the iPhone when sending messages? Also, what are the privacy options like? For example, hidden or secure mail folders and contacts.

Messaging is huge in Japan. Talking costs a ton so texting is the mail form of communication with phones. Every phone has a couple hundred little emoticons to help convey any possible feeling you could have (and often replace words, such as a little envelope/arrow image replacing the word "mail"). These are especially popular with the girls. As a result, I'd really hate if my new iPhone didn't support these as 95% of my mails would have question marks after every other sentence.

Thoughts?

Goldfinger · Jun 10, 2008, 12:14 PM

I highly doubt that it will support those emoticons if they're really images that are sent along. If they are just text strings then you'll get to see the text string in your messages.
Heck, Apple can't even support MMS so why would they support this ? Which is unfortunate.

Xeo · 06:58 PM

Wait, it doesn't support MMS? That doesn't make sense. 3G Japanese phones all mail using MMS unless they are SMS.

See I can get along without them. I don't use them beyond a smily here and there anyway. And if a friend sends me one that my phone doesn't support, it comes through as a text string. However, when I send a test to my real e-mail address, they all come through as 〓〓〓〓〓〓〓. So I have no idea what the iPhone will process them as.

It's just that with as many as some people use in a single message, I have a feeling this alone could be a deal breaker for many.

The Godfather · Jun 10, 2008, 07:12 PM

Talking costs a ton? I thought that Japan was the best connected country, with their mature broadband penetration, and awesome phones. How much is the iPhone plan going to cost over there?

If the iPhone won't display smileys in SMS, I see a huge chance for a ad-supported web app or a new compiled iPhone binary, ad-supported or not. You should contact your closest Web-PHP geek to exploit the opportunity.

Randman · Jun 10, 2008, 08:58 PM

No MMS.

There is supposed to be greater Japanese text input but I don't think it carries over to similies. And you can't create saved files either so you have to input characters each time.

For the casual SMSer, the iPhone probably isn't for you. For businessmen, I can see it selling. And for the media savvy who can adjust on the messaging differences.

- - e r i k - - · Jun 11, 2008, 12:31 AM

The iPhone don't even have iChat/forum style conversion of common text strings into smilies like

and

?

Randman · Jun 11, 2008, 01:43 AM

No.

- - e r i k - - · Jun 11, 2008, 01:46 AM

Odd.

Randman · Jun 11, 2008, 01:51 AM

It took me a few months to adjust to "texting" in the US on an iPhone vs SMSing with my old Nokia N95 in Asia.

Xeo · Jun 11, 2008, 05:44 AM

Well it's definitely a bit disappointing to hear. Being in that media savvy group, I can adjust, but I also read that the iPod lacks copy and paste support? What's with that? And if it doesn't support MMS then how will it do mail? My mails to other people on my network are free if they are MMS. Defeats the purpose a bit, doesn't it.

Oh and on the talking front, it can cost a lot. You don't get free minutes here. But if you have a ¥6000 plan (about $60US), you might get ¥2-3000 of "usage" which will go towards messages and calls. Calls can be anywhere from ¥20-40/min which adds up pretty quick. It's all plan-dependent. Plus, there's no talking on the phone if you're riding the train so every other person is clicking away on their phone, businessmen alike. Softbank, the company bringing the iPhone first, has a plan which allows free talk between customers. That has changed things a lot for me and now I talk a lot more, sometimes for hours at a time.

I need a new phone. I want the iPhone to be everything it says it is, along with just being a regular phone. I want it to feel good to use and not feel like it's incompatible with my usage. Mailing is 80% of my phone's purpose. 15% is calling, and 5% is everything else.

CaptainHaddock · Jun 12, 2008, 03:46 AM

I'm wondering about this too. I live in Japan, and I won't get an iPhone if it doesn't do MMS and emoticons. I don't think any Japanese person would buy it if it didn't support those. Most Japanese do 100% of their emailing with their cell phones, using MMS almost exclusively and incorporating copious amounts of graphical emoticons.

I also find it hard to imagine that a Japanese carrier would sell a phone without such features, even Softbank. Usually they strong-arm the phone maker into including all the prerequisite features their customers expect.