Hi,
I was wondering about SMS on the i500.

1. Is there any way yet to get it to tell me who is sending the text?
2. Is there any way to send text messages without paying for extra services like Vision and Internet?

Thanks!

Many, many posts on these issues.
Answer #1 - it depends - mostly yes but not always
Answer #2 - you need to have internet access to use the text messenger programs to send - thus vision or data charges

__________________
stevedrummer
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
- Herm Albright

Ok, here's another 2 questions.

1. If I turn the Internet/Vision services on, and use the SMS program everyone talks about will I be charged for SMS messages as well? Basically, I pay $15/month for unlimited SMS. If I cancel that and pay $15 for Internet on my phone will I be charged for incoming SMS messages that I get or charged for outgoing ones or do they all come with the Vision package.

2. The SMS software available for this phone, will it still show up as an unknown caller, or will it resolve their phone numbers with my phone book? As it is now I receive text messages but it won't tell me who they are from and I can't reply.

Thanks!

1. depends on your vision plan. some have plans that include text and others don't (personally, i get 100 per month free). outgoing text won't cost you anything because the texting program uses the internet and submissions to various servers, etc. (search the forum for more details as Monkeyboy has posted very copious information on how it all works and I am not that savvy). Incoming text messages will probably be treated as text by Sprint and thus you will be billed unless your plan covers them.

2. AS SUGGESTED EARLIER by another user...search the forum because the answers are all there. The short of it is that it isn't the phone, it's Sprint.

1) You will be charged for all *incoming* SMSs. Outgoing txtmsgs require Vision and are really sent as emails, thus they don't count as SMS. It is pretty easy to convince Sprint CS to give you 500 SMS/mo for free. And with some coercion, it is still possible to get the $10/mo Vision plan.
2) Sprint fixed the "unknown sender" problem for i500's several months ago, then broke it again. It is obviously *well* within Sprint's power to fix this problem, but they don't have much incentive. Go beat on them about it... There is nothing wrong with the phone. Its Sprint's SMS gateway software at their servers. Generally incoming SMSs from other Sprint customers get resolved and tagged correctly.