Message handling in portable electronic device

1. A method of preparing a message in an electronic communication device, the method comprising

providing, via a display of the electronic communication device, a set of message types that can be selected by a user in an editor common for all message types of a plurality of message types;

detecting, via a control unit of the electronic communication device, a user selection of a particular message type of the plurality of message types, where the particular message type is a message type other than a Short Message Service (SMS) message type;

receiving the message in the editor;

selecting, via the control unit, a transmission format for the message in dependence of the user selection, where the message is received in advance of the changing the transmission format; and

outputting, from the electronic communication device, the message using the selected transmission format.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising displaying the message on an information presentation unit in a format corresponding with the selected message type.

3. The method according to claim 1 , where a first user input unit allows actuation for and scrolling in a first direction and a second opposite direction, where detection of a selection by an actuation and confirmation of the first user input unit for one direction provides selection of a message type and the detection of the selection provides changing the transmission format.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising saving the message.

5. Device for preparing a message in an electronic communication device comprising:

a message type selection unit providing a set of message types that can be selected by a user,

a first user input unit, for allowing message type selection by the user, and

a control unit arranged to:

provide the set of items of message types that can be selected by a user in an editor having a format common for all message types,

detect a message selection by a user via said first user input unit,

change a transmission format in dependence of the selections made by the user which provides preparing and saving a message in advance of deciding final message type for transmission or saving thereof.

6. Device according to claim 5 , where the first user input unit allows actuation for and scrolling in a first direction and a second opposite direction, and a second user input unit is to confirm a selection, where the detection of a selection by an actuation of the first user input unit for one direction to an item and confirmation by the second user input unit provides selection of a message type and the detection of a selection provides changing the transmission format in dependence of the selections made by the user.

7. Device according to claim 5 , where the control unit is to change the appearance on an information presentation unit in dependence of the selections made by the user.

8. Device according to claim 5 , further comprising a user selectable store to store a message, where the control unit is further to save a message in the store in a general format.

9. Device according to claim 8 , where the control unit is to automatically save the message in the store.

10. Device according to claim 5 , where the control unit is to upload the message to a predefined web address.

11. Device according to claim 5 , where the control unit is to upload the message to a web address using an automated log-in.

12. Device according to claim 5 , where the control unit is to upload the message to a web address without using an automated log-in.

13. Device according to claim 5 , where tools not relevant to a selected message format are displayed on a display of the electronic communication device but are not user selectable so that a user can continue to edit in the selected message format only.

14. Device according to claim 5 , where the device is a portable electronic communication device.

15. Device according to claim 14 , where the device includes at least one of a cellular phone, a PDA, or a smart-phone.

16. The method according to claim 1 , where the particular message type comprises at least one of an Enhanced Message Service (EMS) message, a Multimedia Message Service (MMS) message, an electronic mail (e-mail) with attachment, an e-mail without attachment, or a blog message.

17. A method comprising:

at a display of a communication device, displaying a message editor without requiring selection of a message type;

via a first input unit of the communication device, receiving a message at the message editor;

after receiving the message, displaying, at the display of the communication device, a plurality of selectable candidate message types for the message;

receiving, via a second input unit of the communication device, a selection of a particular message type; and

assigning the selected particular message type to the received message.

18. The method according to claim 17 , where the plurality of selectable candidate message types are displayed in a scrollable menu.

19. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising transmitting the message from the communication device in a transmission format based on the selected particular message type.

20. The method according to claim 1 , where the plurality of message types includes an SMS message type.