Limited to 160 character text messages?

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Asmodeus

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#38207 25-Jul-2009 18:24

Hi guys,

Sorry if this has been asked before or this isnt the right forum but I assume this is handset related more than network related.

I have a Nokia 6630 with a Vodafone prepay account. When creating text messages I am limited to 160 characters per text. I am able to write text messages longer than 160 chracters but when sent, the phone/network splits the message into 160 character chunks which are all receved seperately by the recipient.

I can receive text messages longer than 160 chracters and often do. I also know people with simpler model phones (Nokia & otherwise) who can send >160 chracter texts.

Anyone know if Im gonna be able to change this? I cant seem to find a setting on the phone for it.

Cheers in advance

freitasm

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#238944 25-Jul-2009 18:58

SMS is limited to 160 characters. Handsets may send longer messages but those are broken into 160 characters pieces. Some handsets may be clever enough to actually see "1/2" "2/2" and then merge them, but SMS is still limited to 160 characters.

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Asmodeus

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#238957 25-Jul-2009 21:16

Thanks for that. Its the fact that some phones can stitch the parts together and some cant that threw me. At least it's their phone and not mine!

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coffeebaron

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#238966 25-Jul-2009 23:08

With multi part text, I believe there is also a flag set in the msg header. This is often dropped with off net sms. E.G. a multi part txt going from Vodafone to Telecom may loose this flag, so the receiving ph even if multi part txt capable, may display as separate txt.

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freitasm

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#238970 25-Jul-2009 23:14

Also note that even though you may write a single long message, it will still be split and sent as 160 characters SMS... And each part will be $0.20 or whatever you pay in your plan.

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sbiddle

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#239000 26-Jul-2009 03:47

Multipart SMS messages will work to any phone that supports them if you are on Vodafone or on XT.

These will work to (virtually) any network in the world and be joined at the other end if you are on Vodafone.

Telecom's SMSC has no 8 bit binary SMS support on it's external gateways and strips the UDH headers so any messages sent from a XT handset to a Vodafone handset, Vodafone to XT, or XT to anywhere else in the world will not be joined back together and will appear as individual messages.