AT&T survey hints at iChat application for iPhone

AT&T recently sent out a round of surveys to iPhone users, asking people about their experiences using the phone in different contexts. One of the slides asks about EDGE performance, with one subsection asking how well users rate performance whilst using "iChat," next to other features of the iPhone. Does this mean Apple is planning an iChat application, or did AT&T make a whoopsie? It's certainly not beyond the realm of possibility that Apple is working on iChat for the iPhone, and IM is definitely an improvement that we'd welcome.

[Via PhazerBlast]

[T H @ Jul 8th 2007 9:01PM]

Therrrrrre we go, one large piece of the "am I going to breakdown and buy an iPhone" puzzle solved...

[benny @ Jul 8th 2007 9:06PM]

Phazerblast is known for photoshops. Do not believe this.

[Benny @ Jul 8th 2007 9:04PM]

Phazerblast is known for photoshops. Do not believe this hack "artist".

[Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Jul 8th 2007 9:10PM]

Benny,

We've linked to the direct AT&T survey. Also, one of our writers received the same invitation to complete the survey from AT&T.

It *could* be a fake (and if so, we'll update), but the current evidence says this is real.

-Conrad

[Ben Goetting @ Jul 8th 2007 9:28PM]

this would be an idiot coworker of mine thinking an inside joke is cool on public forums.

[Ben @ Jul 8th 2007 11:46PM]

I took the survey earlier and I noticed the same option. It was definitely present in my survey.

[Jizzy @ Jul 8th 2007 9:07PM]

How would it work? camera is in the back and the screen is in the front...

[Glenn @ Jul 8th 2007 9:09PM]

A mirror

[derek @ Jul 8th 2007 9:13PM]

iChat can use just text too....

[Zadillo @ Jul 8th 2007 9:15PM]

I kind of wonder if this is just a mistake, and they used iChat when they meant SMS. That is, that they were actually asking people to rate the performance of using the SMS app (maybe they referred to it as iChat because the SMS does "look" like iChat). Just a guess.

Also, it seems sort of unusual that they'd ask people to rate EDGE performance in these various apps but not include Safari as one of the apps to ask about.

[johnwarren @ Jul 8th 2007 9:43PM]

Except they were talking about EDGE performance and SMS does not use EDGE. Everyone needs to keep sending feedback to Apple telling them "We want real iChat at least for text".

[Zadillo @ Jul 8th 2007 9:59PM]

Good point, didn't think about that.

Interesting then.

Still that does make me wonder then why they didn't ask about Safari then. I guess maybe because Safari performance would have a lot more variables based on the sites someone used, while the other apps they asked about have more predictable performance.

[CharlieX @ Jul 8th 2007 9:33PM]

Speaking of which, EDGE speeds are abysmal in Los Angeles.... from that one beautiful day of 170kbits to *maybe* 100 if you're lucky

[T H @ Jul 8th 2007 9:45PM]

EDGE blows.. period.

[jordan @ Jul 9th 2007 12:50AM]

Once again, AT&T fails miserably..

youfail.org

[jasonwrites @ Jul 9th 2007 5:25PM]

I'm getting 150-200 on my iPhone in LA. It's been not bad at all. The sky is not falling.

[CharlieX @ Jul 9th 2007 5:35PM]

On your iPhone? I haven't gotten higher than 110kbits in LA since iPhone.

[Christopher Ellis @ Jul 8th 2007 9:54PM]

I may be wrong about this but my current understanding is that using the traditional IM application (AIM/MSN/Yahoo!) on a traditional AT&T/Cingular phone counts each IM sent and received as a text message -- they do not function over TCP/IP as an internet app. I just wanted to point this out to everyone looking for chat that counts as data and not text. If you're looking for chat to talk to you AIM buddies, an iChat app will be great but if you're looking to chat without using your text message allotment, you're SOL even with an iChat app.

[craig @ Jul 8th 2007 10:21PM]

Only if the chat app in question uses SMS messages to implement IM. If it doesn't there's no way Cingular could bill like that.

[Jack @ Jul 9th 2007 7:59AM]

On cingular, and now at&t, IM and other services were not included with the unlimited data internet plan that they intoduced a year ago for $20 dollars. For IM and other stuff besides surfing and email, one had to pay, $15, and one had to pay $5 for 200 text messages. On my treo I pay the same as the iPhone plan and get the same services, but without the texting, for the same price. Perhaps they will add IM later, but charge for it. The truth is "kids" use text--they use it alot. It's the prefered platform.

[Nick Gold @ Jul 8th 2007 9:44PM]

I think it's so funny that these days 100-150kbps is considered so abysmal. Kids kids, back when modems were just starting to become widespread, we tolerated things like 2400, 1200, and even 300 baud b/s. That's bits per second. And those were just the theoretical maximums. Maybe think about it in these terms -- 56k modems still are pretty common, and the EDGE speeds most people see on iPhone is better than that. Is it really so bad? Granted, I did order an EV-DO card from Spring for my laptop.

[Ben @ Jul 8th 2007 9:53PM]

Nick, I'd agree with you if the latency was the same, but when you consider the latency, edge is not as good as dial-up.

[Greg @ Jul 8th 2007 9:58PM]

I'm sorry, but 100KBPS is crap when you're actually paying a REQUIRED subscription fee. The AT&T network Data network is probably slower than dial-up. I've used it on wireless for about 3 days, before going to Sprint's EV-DO network. They (AT&T) needs to get their network going if they expect others to switch knowing their network speed.

[anon @ Jul 10th 2007 5:42AM]

@ Ben & Greg,

Stop spreading the FUD!

The actual throughput people are getting with EDGE is 100-250kbps. Check previous Engadget articles. That is 2 to 4x that of the fastest dial-up modem (56Kb) at the fastest possible speed (53Kb) which you will only average about 50 to 80% of that.

[Joey Geraci @ Jul 9th 2007 12:06AM]

The latency of EDGE is much worse than dialup, and that is what people are referring to when they say the overall experience is worse than dialup.

[Jack @ Jul 9th 2007 7:49AM]

Yes, it is that bad. We might have been used to 56k a decade ago, but the Web keeps using more and more resources. And as most have asked, why have a "real" browser when you don't have the speed to use it.

[Nick Gold @ Jul 9th 2007 11:53AM]

Well, I'm sure it depends on your locale to a degree, but here in Baltimore I have been pretty happy w/ EDGE speeds. Remember that EDGE is not 2G, not 2.5G, it is 2.75G to 3G at the speeds people are now getting. It's really not that bad, but again, locale probably affects this to a good degree. Yes, it has latency, but I for one can cope.

[jdoc @ Jul 9th 2007 3:25PM]

Nick, buddy, BACK IN THE DAY we did tolerate 56kbps, yes. But the web has changed ever since, and websites are heavier than ever. I'm sure you know the iPhone comes with Safari, which access TODAY'S WEB. Not AOL 4.0. And as such, we can't tolarate 1999 speeds in 2007.

[stickybit @ Jul 8th 2007 9:52PM]

I also got that email with a link to an AT&T survey. As I recall it does indeed list "iChat" as shown. I just assumed they actually meant SMS.

[Robert McLaws @ Jul 8th 2007 10:01PM]

Why the hell can't you guys cover this stuff over on Engadget Mobile? Geez man. Why not just start an Engadget iPhone site and get it the f#$% overwith. Seriously, it's getting old.

[craig @ Jul 8th 2007 10:40PM]

I sincerely doubt all AT&T phones route IM through SMS. They sell Windows Mobile devices and those offer 3rd party IM that don't do that. SMS-based IM exists but I don't think it's predominant. I've never used it myself.

I would think that most iPhone users are upgrading their SMS packages anyway. At best it would encourage users who want iChat to use the $20 upgrade rather than the $10 one. I think it's a red herring.

[Zadillo @ Jul 8th 2007 10:01PM]

AT&T does have their HSPDA network up; the iPhone just doesn't use it (currently).

[rpgSE.com @ Jul 8th 2007 10:00PM]

What are the rate plans for IM/Chat? 200 msgs a month included?!?

[adamga2003 @ Jul 9th 2007 10:25AM]

Um... DUH!! the SMS is the iChat feature!! haven't you seen it?! There's nothing new here, I can't believe you actually wrote a blog about this!!

[Christopher Ellis @ Jul 8th 2007 10:27PM]

Certainly true but they haven't done otherwise in the past and AT&T stands to make more money off of IM over SMS. I can't see them changing for the iPhone. Then again, maybe if it's part of the control that we've heard Apple demand as part of the deal.

[Steve @ Jul 8th 2007 11:14PM]

My experience with Edge has been somewhere between unusable and slow. An hour ago I tested it v a 56k modem on my wife's old PC. The old PC was seriously faster.

I measured about 20-25kbps (lots of latency). There were bursts that were a bit faster. Early in the morning on weekends I get closer to the 100 kbps, but latency is still very evident.

This is not a viable service.

[John @ Jul 8th 2007 10:45PM]

Wouldn't iChat AV theoretically be an end-run around VOIP?

[carlos @ Jul 8th 2007 11:16PM]

I just ran a speed test from my iPhone on Edge and I get 227.5 kbps.

[Brian H @ Jul 8th 2007 11:15PM]

I haven't gotten this yet, but I think they're all average; except for YouTube, which is very poor. However, I'm going to put 'very poor' for all of them, which every iPhone owner should, so AT&T and Apple realize that people are very unhappy with the EDGE and, hopefully, they'll make some improvements to the network and make the second generation version 3G.

[Buckaroo @ Jul 8th 2007 11:40PM]

I guess the survey is not available to everyone:

The respondent authentication key you entered has already been used: 9369341376

http://att.inquisiteasp.com/cgi-bin/qwebcorporate.dll?idx=AB6NAC&rk=9369341376

[narrativium @ Jul 9th 2007 11:54AM]

Why would it be available to everyone? I would think AT&T would only want people who are using the device on a regular basis (i.e. registered owners) to complete the survey, so they can accurately asses how satisfied their customers are.

[Buckaroo @ Jul 10th 2007 1:24AM]

Ok, I guess my purchase was too recent to be included. My mistake. I thought I read that they were going to provide a link to the survey, I must have misread that part.

[Silver Patd @ Jul 9th 2007 3:18AM]

I think third party web based chat/messenger clients will be good enough to substitute for an official iChat. The Messenger from Trillian is great. Combines AIM, YM, MSN and ICQ. I just hope it will be out of beta soon. http://www.iphonegold.org

[Mischa Lockton @ Jul 9th 2007 4:01AM]

of course they are. as well as the next iMacs, iPhones, iPods... gps, etc... the question becomes not if but when?

[Benson Leung @ Jul 9th 2007 8:16AM]

Like others, I think it is only a matter of time for a software update to include a true IM package like iChat. That is, assuming that AT&T isn't objecting to the app so they can screw us into some rate charged SMS client.

[Galley @ Jul 9th 2007 8:27AM]

Bring on video iChat!

[Froggy @ Jul 9th 2007 9:51AM]

funny .. who would rate using EDGE for anything as "Average," "Good," or "Excellent?" Seems to me they would have been better off to just put "Abysmal," "Horrible," and "Very Poor." That way they would get s some useful data to use. :)

[dayhill @ Jul 9th 2007 10:15AM]

My iPhone speeds on EDGE are typically 150-160 and I live in Chicago. Honestly - it could be better, but it's not as bad as I thought it might be. I compare this to my home cable modem with speeds of 10600kbps which of course is outstanding for the states. If I can get used to the slow EDGE speeds, I would think anybody could. I bought the iPhone with the understanding it is a version 1.0 product, only slightly better than beta. Everyone should have known they were getting EDGE going in, but wanted the gadget regardless because it is so far ahead of what everyone else has. Just realize - it will get better and QUIT WHINING!

[crapple @ Jul 9th 2007 10:39AM]

Finally went to AT&T to play with an iPhone. NOt a bad looking device. The keyboard sucked. It's still Sidekick 3 for life cuz, and I promise to bang no other. If the iPhone had IM in the beginning, I would have stood in line. No copy and paste/IM makes this photo viewer/ipod/slow iBrowser an expensive wannabe smartphone.

Here is the stupid part, some of you will take Apple's side when they put iChat on the iPhone, like Apple did us a favor. No, Apple is BOWING to a need that is missing and should have been installed on day one. Bitches

[wombat @ Jul 9th 2007 12:18PM]

The Sidekick is, and always has been, a piece of crap. I know several people who have them, and they've all had problems with failing controls, software glitches, and the clunky and confusing interface. The only reason this device is popular is that T-Mobile managed to get high-profile airheads like Paris Hilton to use them in public.