The next generation of mobile phone messaging is not far away now!

Within the next few weeks, the nation’s three major mobile networks (Optus, Telstra and Vodafone) will be launching their multimedia messaging services (MMS) - which will provide mobile phone users with the opportunity to send and receive messages containing sounds and pictures in addition to basic text. Such a facility would allow users (of MMS-capable phones) to compose messages with richer content, as compared to traditional SMS messages where the use of words and symbols were the only method of expression.

There may not be many phones out there that are MMS-compatible. But the launch of MMS does coincide with the upcoming debut of the Nokia 7650 camera phone, to be made available around the same time. Users of the 7650 will immediately be able to make full use of the phone’s MMS capabilities thanks to the integrated digital camera and recording functions (of course, this will require subscription to the relevant network services).

But what happens if your phone is not MMS compatible? Not to worry… users who have an MMS-enabled phone can send a multimedia message to any compatible mobile phone, where the user will be notified to view the message via a web browser instead. The same MMS message can also be sent to an email address instead.

Telstra is expected to commercially launch their MMS service on 12 August along with the Nokia 7650, while Vodafone plans to do the same around probably the same time. Optus is launching theirs at the end of August.