We've been trying out alternatives to a unlimited text plan for our mobile phones. We tried Text+, an iPhone application but it's a little hard to use. Basically, there is no way for someone else to text you as you don't have a # until you initiate the conversation.
What I've done now is to use Google voice. This works better. First, you have a real phone # which you can forward to your cell or home # when someone calls. Next, people can SMS that google voice # and you can forward them to email (like gmail). If you use the exchange connector on the iPhone for your gmail account then you get instant notifications of texts.
The email is very painless. The email address is key. It consists of the other parties #, your google # and a session id so it looks like: 15075551234.15075554321.assdfasdad@text.google.com. Responding to a SMS means just reply to the email and google is smart enough to just pick up the sentence you typed without the signature and other stuff. It works very well.
So, this looks the ticket for us, google voice in combination with gmail means you can get by without a texting plan. It works very well on an iPod Touch also.
You can start a conversation with Text+ you just need an account
Posted by: Izzy d | June 27, 2010 at 03:22 PM