This is confusing to some. It keeps a past history, which you can determine the number of messages, but each time a new message comes it doesnt just show under the one contact name, and instead it comes as a regular message that when you open it, it shows the conversation.
Threaded will just show the contacts name, then you click that one name and it opens the conversation up.
I think generally this is a new way of keeping threads and will be a big improvement to what you know today as threaded conversations. Now that this new leaked OS 5.0 version came out I'm really wanting to see an Official release... threaded SMS messages, tabbed browsers... I just hope all my apps can be changed over quickly... I don't want to change until all my apps work too.
argh, I knew I surely had missed some post...asked the same question in the OS-forum, see below:
(sorry, cant post links yet...post is in the OS discussion forum)
If you've ever used a Treo or a newer WM phone, you'll know what threaded SMS is about. Threaded SMS makes SMS read like BBM, not like the weird solution RIM has now. I have to test out threaded SMS when I get my replacement 8900 back but my major problem with the current SMS system is that you can't add another reply to a "thread" until you get a response or you start a new "thread".