Free sms?

[trocadero]

Hi,

My daughter's 3 Iphone plan isn't sufficient for her sms usage. It's pathetically low, actually. I'm looking for a way for her to send out sms for free from her iphone. Her friends have regular cellphones, rather than smartphones, so it needs to go from internet to cell number.

I see that Yahoo Messenger can do it in some countries, but not in HK. Marbella looks like a possibility, but the website says the sms facility is undergoing maintenance - not a good sign.

If anyone has found a way to send free sms from a laptop or iphone to a cell phone, I'd love to hear about it

Thanks.

[Rob2020]

Does your daughter have a data plan?
If she does and it's got enough capacity, advise her to use MSN or email instead.

Unfortunately, carriers here rip you off sideways with SMS

[krypton]

- AFAIK all 3 plans have intra-SMS free (unlimited within fair usage limit which is 10,000)
- SMS to other subscribers are charged. Back in the day they had a $25 monthly plan for unlimited SMS to other carriers but it seems that is no longer available

[trocadero]

Robert and Krypton you are both right about the sms plans with 3. The problem is her friends aren't with 3, and they don't have internet on their phones, so she can't msn.

Of course she could just call, but teens seem to prefer to send 20 sms. Sometimes I do that myself, I have to admit.

[Fenix2]

aren't kids using blackberries messaging (not email) so they don't have to pay for sms?

[shri]

Lots of iPhoners are using WhatsApp ... not too bad to bypass SMS charges, but messages can sometimes take upto 4 hours to get delivered.

[shri]

>> they don't have internet on their phones

Oops, just saw that. They need to upgrade their parents.