Understanding SMS Length and Its Charges
English SMS Length Defined:
When crafting an English SMS, you have a limit of 765 characters at your disposal. But here's the breakdown to be aware of: Each standard SMS is capped at 160 characters.
Segmentation of Longer Messages:
If your message exceeds 160 characters, it gets segmented into parts, each containing up to 153 characters. So, if you're doing the math:
1 part = 1 SMS (Up to 160 characters)
2 parts = 2 SMS (Up to 313 characters)
3 parts = 3 SMS (Up to 459 characters)
...
5 parts = 5 SMS (Up to 765 characters: 5 parts * 153 characters/part).
User Experience vs. Billing:
Most modern mobile devices will seamlessly stitch these parts together, presenting the recipient with one continuous, elongated message for easy reading. However, on the billing side, each of those segments is considered and charged as a separate SMS by the network providers.
Takeaway:
While longer messages offer the advantage of conveying more information, it's essential to be aware of the character thresholds to manage costs effectively.