It’s time for Apple to fix texting, some say…and apparently, that time has finally come.
In a statement sent to 9to5Mac, Apple has confirmed that it is finally adopting Rich Communication Services (RCS), that little messaging standard from the GSMA that’s used by practically every Android user these days, backed by Samsung, Google, and other tech giants.
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, claimed last year that Apple had no plans to bring RCS support to its devices, but clearly, the company has had a change of heart, having sent the publication this statement:
Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association. We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS.
Apple, however, goes on to clarify that iMessage is still king, so it’s unclear whether that whole green bubble drama (i.e., text messages of Android users showing up as SMS/MMS on iDevices) might finally end, or continue to piss certain people/companies off:
This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.
Google, one of those companies, went so far as to launch a “fix text messaging” site last year in an attempt to get Apple to switch to RCS, but while it’s been fun to look at, credit for Apple’s new stance appears to go to the Europeans, having spearheaded a Digital Markets Act that would have apparently prompted Apple into adopting RCS:
Some large online platforms act as “gatekeepers” in digital markets. The Digital Markets Act aims to ensure that these platforms behave in a fair way online. Together with the Digital Services Act, the Digital Markets Act is one of the centrepieces of the European digital strategy.
This act dictates that “gatekeepers,” meaning, big companies like Apple, are expected to do the following:
- allow third parties to inter-operate with the gatekeeper’s own services in certain specific situations
- allow their business users to access the data that they generate in their use of the gatekeeper’s platform
- provide companies advertising on their platform with the tools and information necessary for advertisers and publishers to carry out their own independent verification of their advertisements hosted by the gatekeeper
- allow their business users to promote their offer and conclude contracts with their customers outside the gatekeeper’s platform
“Texting shouldn’t feel like a pager,” Google said on its website about Apple’s refusal to adopt modern texting standards.
Discussion (9 replies)
Join Discussion →I don’t get it. What does this bring to the table? Or is this just so ‘Droid users don’t have to suffer the indignity of being in a green bubble.
I saw a silly article in a recent CNET newsletter that I don't recall ever signing up for, and well I happened to be inebriated and thus lapsed into old-man-rant mode. I sent the below (edited slightly) to some friends the other day:
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[URL unfurl="true"]https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/why-apple-is-content-with-the-blue-bubble-divide-in-imessage[/URL]
"The messaging situation between Uddin and Baloch got so bad that she began screenshotting emojis to ensure feelings she conveyed were coming through correctly. This prompted Uddin to switch to an iPhone as quickly as he could. 'In order for things to land -- in order for me to make a good impression -- I really need to make sure my texting game is on point,' said Uddin. 'Like, I really, really wanted this to work.'"
Or you can communicate like a real person and not use f*cking emojis. How sad is it that humans now communicate with silly pictures? But of course it made sense for him to switch to an Apple phone, since he mentally fits the description of such a user. That's also shown by how dumb he is for switching to an iPhone JUST on the basis of text messaging.
That's the thing with Apple, they know how to sell to the dumb ignorant masses, especially those with more cash than brains.
"The fault of that out-of-date experience is often placed on Android users, although it's an experience of Apple's making. This blame can take the form of prejudgments about a person's income, personality and overall social status, which can sometimes lead to bullying and added pressures to switch."
Bullying and pressure to switch phones?! Oh for f*ck's sake! And have you seen how much Android phone costs? Just because they use an Android phone doesn't make them poorer. And what does using a "lesser" Android phone say about personality or overall social status? Is that how we judge people now, by the kinds of phones they have?
I wish [FRIEND'S NAME HERE] had never told me about the movie Idiocracy, cuz it is no longer a funny joke. It feels like prophecy.
"The mobile phone industry is quickly switching from SMS to RCS, an upgraded messaging standard that can support more modern features like those seen in iMessage and other contemporary texting apps. It's estimated that nearly half the globe will be using RCS by 2026..."
I'm not familiar with RCS. I also hadn't realized how long SMS has been around.
"But Apple refuses to support it. During the Code conference last year, CEO Tim Cook said iPhone users hadn't been asking for RCS adoption and told a mildly disgruntled attendee to 'Buy your mom an iPhone.'"
"Apple's unwillingness to adopt RCS, which has bifurcated the messaging environment, is largely an American phenomenon. In other parts of the world, third-party messaging services are the standard over SMS."
"WhatsApp, which doesn't support SMS or RCS, is by far the world's most popular third-party messaging service."
I know people who use this. I've only heard the name of the app, but that's it.
"But SMS texting is still considered the preferred way to communicate for Americans, with 2 trillion text messages sent in 2021, helping Apple maintain its hold over messaging in America. By making iMessage the default messaging service on iPhone, and by being unwilling to adopt RCS, Apple has forced Americans into a divided system."
"The European Commission is investigating whether iMessage should be designated a 'core' service as defined by the Digital Markets Act. That designation, which Google supports, would require Apple to make iMessage compatible with rival messaging services. Included in this designation is WhatsApp, in which the beta includes support for other texting options."
"'A lot of kids actually get bullied for having Android phones. ...They're treated badly. It bothers them when they talk about it. Their emotion is so clear,' said Ahuvia. If he were in Apple's position, he said, he'd stop practices that increase social torment among teens. 'Apple is unfortunately making money off of that.'"
Okay, but who is the dumb f*cking kid who lets someone bully him just because he has an Android phone? And doesn't about half of all smartphone users [in the USA] use Android anyways? It's not like they are in the minority." [I don't actually know what the Android vs Apple metrics are]
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So you see @Brian_B, this is about the unification of America. We will no longer be a divided people. This is so we can all enjoy fireworks and hot dogs together on Uncle Sam's birthday, regardless of what phones any of us are using. The green bubble was dividing America, killing its future. Our future, and the future of the generations to come after. Judging by the article above, it seems Apple finally understands this (or hell has frozen over). This is bigger than any company. This is about bald eagles and freedom.
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It's not the green bubble that is the problem. They very well may continue that.
It's compatibility with higher resolution images, video clips etc. Apples refusal to join the industry standard has resulted in two separate ecosystems that don't talk to eachother. iMessage users can send messages to each other with relatively high quality attachments and other features. . Android (and presumably other RCS users) can send messages to each other with high quality attachments or other features. But if an android user tries to message an iphone user or vice versa, it falls back on old school SMS, with low resolution images, low bitrate video, etc. etc.
And that's pretty shitty.
That said, I had read that Google was trying to do some shitty things when it came to controlling RCS as well, so this isn't universally on Apple.
And yeah, it's accurate. Most of the world doesn't use SMS/RCS/iMessage anymore. Most of the world uses third party apps/protocols for messaging, the most popular of which is WhatsApp. Which notably is owned by Facebook, who a while back broke its end to end encryption so they could spy on content (but no one talks about that).
If I could, I'd use Signal with anyone I want to communicate, but I just can't seem to get people to install and use it. It's pretty much the only true private messaging app out there, and it works just about as well as the best ones.
Yeah I had heard that too.
Yeah I was surprised when I read that in the sh1tty article I posted.
1.) Didn't know they were owned by Facebook
2.) Broke the end-to-end encryption to spy on folks?! I hadn't heard about that! But as I mentioned above, I'm not familiar with WhatsApp to begin with.
Never heard of this either. But if you approve of using it, then perhaps I should look into it.
I have signal as well. Use it to chat with one of my security paranoid cousins. :)
I admit to just using SMS/iMessage - I just see blue or green bubbles and don't really care. If I wanted to send something high definition, I'd send via email, not via a text.
I have one collegue at work who always insists on using whatever the latest Flavor of the Month service is, so we all download and make accounts and what not just so that one person can send messages and be happy. I have an entire folder of iPhone apps of his discarded messaging services as he migrates from one to the next - then gets frustrated when one of us inevitably forgets to sign in and doesn't get his notifications.
Who knows for sure really, what if any shady practices go on behind the scenes, but Signal is the only fully end to end encrypted chat client I am aware of, that doesn't mine user data, and is operated by an organization that is not incentivized to mine user data for profit purposes.
It is funded and run by the Signal Foundation, a non-profit organization funded by the EFF and others, which makes me trust it more than other clients.
[URL unfurl="true"]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signal_(software)[/URL]
To be clear, WhatsApp still insists they have end-to-end encryption, but lets just say that their definition is not the same one that security researchers would be comfortable with, and it allows them to mine data.
Yeah, exactly.
Wait, so you all bend over backwards just for this one dude?!