Syphone beta archives iPhone SMS messages

Micromat has released Syphone beta, a public test version of its freeware utility designed to work with Apple's iPhone. The application does not need to alter the iPhone in any way, but allows users to view as well as save and back up SMS text messages. Syphone beta supports archiving and viewing SMS conversations, including those already deleted from the iPhone. The software allows users to import/export SMS text messages, view messages offline in an iChat-like interface with a variety of colors, open Address Book contacts, and view the number of sent/received messages for each contact on multiple iPhone handsets. Syphone beta is available for free, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.

iPhones impose a limit on the number of SMS messages they can store at any given time, and when this limit is exceeded existing conversations must be deleted to make room for the new messages. When multiple iPhones are synced to a computer, Syphone supports viewing as well as archiving messages from any of the connected devices.

"Syphone represents our first endeavor into the iPhone product market," said Micromat president Jeff Baudin. "This was a function we all wanted for ourselves and so we decided to make the best SMS archiving utility we could."

The company elected to offer the utility for free to gauge the amount of appeal software like Syphone might have on consumers, adding that Micromat may create a pro version with numerous additional features if user response is positive.

Filed under: iPod