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< Esato Forum Index > Sony Ericsson / Sony > Symbian phones > Voicemail Icon vs SMS :: for new voice mails Bookmark topic

OK, I just changed my tele number & had to set up a new voice mail account. I don't like receiving SMSs for every new voicemail. I used to get that icon (the one that's on the #1 button) under the battery symbol. How do I get that voicemail symbol to appear instead of SMSs?
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Posted: 2004-03-24 04:24:48
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This is determined by your sevice provider and the user can't change it. Some use SMS notification and others use the voice mail icon method. In my market (Los Angeles) T-Mobile uses SMS, but Cingular will show the voice mail icon.
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Posted: 2004-03-24 18:12:43
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Thanks...I'll pound T-mobile then. I've always been with T-mobile. I just moved from GA to AZ & it happened when I changed my number. So, I know T-mobile does do it.
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Posted: 2004-03-24 18:21:59
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@tylast
That's very interesting. Several of us T-mo users have been writing and calling into t-mo to give us the option for vm icon notification rather than the annoying sms. T-mo has said they don't do vm icon notification, so the fact that u have had this in the recent past is an interesting observation.
If u could give more details as to how long u had vm icon notification and how recently u switched states, that may be helpful to other t-mo users in requesting a change.

_________________
Life gives u a thousand chances, all u need 2 do is take one. (PA, USA - P900 T-Mobile)

[ This Message was edited by: bensonl on 2004-03-24 18:38 ]
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Posted: 2004-03-24 19:35:55
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bensonl,

I've been a T-mo user ever since they introduced their service to California. They never had a diff icon for VM vs. SMS and I find it hard to believe for a carrier of that size not to provide us a way to differentiate as such.

If other carriers can do this, why can't T-mo. In my opinin this is very lame.
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Posted: 2004-03-24 19:53:47
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Started with T-mobile APR 03 changed number Feb 04. I think I might be making progress with T-mobile...they're asking probing questions & not replying with the standard cut-n-paste response. I'll keep you posted.
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Posted: 2004-03-24 20:29:50
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As I understand it, the notification method is determined by the voice mail system the provider uses. If they want to change the notification method, they must install a new voice mail system. Also, their rationale for using SMS is to accommodate travelers who are in markets that don't support the VM icon. Supposedly SMS will ensure that the customer is notified of messages.

Like many others, I feel the VM icon is much better and requires fewer steps to retrieve messages.



[ This Message was edited by: MartinG on 2004-03-25 00:18 ]
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Posted: 2004-03-24 20:49:44
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@tylast,

The reason you had a different service in GA was because you were on a different network. The "T-Mobile" there is the old Powertel network which, as you say, has supported the voicemail spool symbol since the start.

Customer care may care, but they won't be able to help you until T-Mobile has harmonised all its various Powertel/Voicestream/etc systems.

By the way, the voicemail spool symbol is actually an SMS too - just a specially formatted one that your phone recognises (and a similarly formatted one that gets sent to your phone to clear it). You can download little apps online that allow you to send the symbol from your phone to people's phones.

Another option available in the header of an SMS is whether the message is persistent (normal) or is replaced by the next message from the same sender. On some GSM networks, you'll get a "You have 001 new message(s)" SMS, which will then be replaced by a "You have 002 new message(s)" SMS when appropriate. Stops your phone filling up at least. If I recall correctly, this is what T-Mo do in CA?
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Posted: 2004-03-25 03:00:47
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hippo ~ thanks for the great info! I kinda figured that there were different regions as my voice mail is ever so slightly different. I never have more than 1 voice mail SMS...so the headers must be in use by T-mobile. I wish I would've waited for your post before sending my 2nd e-mail to tech support. When they reply again...I'll include the link to this thread.

Now we just need a slew of customers from T-mobile (who want this feature) to post here so T-mobile will be sure to incorporate it in future developments.
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Posted: 2004-03-25 04:03:35
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The ability to provide a voice mail icon on the handset was not part of the original GSM specification, so it was not offered by the original GSM 900 providers. This feature was part of the Common PCN Handset Specification which was drawn up by Europe's GSM 1800 operators as they started deploying their networks.

Pretty much every GSM handset on the market today supports the CPHS, but GSM 900 networks (which typically were in place before GSM 1900 started) typically don't. So here in Britain, for example, the two older GSM 900 networks (O2 and Vodafone) have to notify the user of a message by sending an SMS or making an automated handset to the subscriber, but the GSM 1900 networks (Orange and T-Mobile) can light up the icon.

As every North American GSM network was put in place well after the CPHS was established, I'd be kind of surprised if any of them don't have the technical ability to provide CPHS features - but then again, we're talking about mobile providers, so nothing should surprise me.
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Posted: 2004-03-25 08:59:10
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