My husband sent me an article about how Apple is going to adopt RCS messaging and our group threads won’t be weird anymore since he has a android. After reading the article I have no idea what RCS is or how Apple adding it to their software is going to change anything. Will group threads with a android user be just like group threads with all iPhone users but with green bubbles?
In: Technology
[removed]
The main problem with Apple & Android in the same group threads is multi-media compatibility. It’s not about the bubble color. It’s videos recorded on the phone being unwatchable to people on the other platform. RCS is a open standard and Apple getting onboard is supposed to address this.
Think of how much better iMessage is than just regular text messages to Android users. You can do it over WiFi when you don’t have service, you can send photos and videos in full resolution. Apple solved a problem because of how crappy regular text messaging (SMS) was by creating imessage.
Now that RCS is more capable than SMS, the government wants Apple to switch to it. And they don’t want to because they already created something that’s does everything that RCS is supposed to do, but the government doesn’t like that it’s only for other Apple users.
Holy fuck these comments are like 20% helpful.
When you message iphone to iPhone it sends over your data connection (the internet) which is why you can see typing indicators and send very large videos in good quality. It also allows you to be able to text with only a wifi connection if you’re in a place with bad cell reception.
This is also how Android phones text to each other.
Before this tech existed, phones texted over your cell phones normal phone signal that it uses to make calls. This is good because it doesn’t need an internet connection to text, but it’s bad because it’s limited to sending low quality images and VERY low quality videos, just because the tech doesn’t allow much information to be sent.
RCS is the name of the tech that allows for the texting over your phones internet connection, but instead of using this, Apple made its own (imessage) and made it so when you text non apple phones it defaults to the old style of texting with all the limitations I mentioned. Apple didn’t have to do this, they just did because they wanted it to be a pain in the ass to text android phones to bring everyone into their walled garden, and in the US this worked better than they ever could have hoped. Apple could have implemented texting android phones over rcs a long time ago, so that you could send and receive high quality videos to and from android users (among other benefits) but they just didn’t.
It’s a big deal because nobody ever really thought they would do this. Seemed like it came out of nowhere, and it’s going to be much easier for iPhone users to text friends with Android phones a lot easier and less annoying. Obviously there’s whatsapp and signal which also work the same as imessage and rcs, but that’s mostly irrelevant to the question.
Hope that helps.
It’s a big deal
RCS is a messaging standard superseding old SMS standard. The thing with apple is that they try to make their products intentionally incompatible with the entire rest of the market. It’s a walled garden marketing strategy. If you have a apple product that doesn’t really work properly with non-apple products because it’s intentionally hobbled, then that incentivizes you to buy everything from apple.
It’s sort of similar thing with apple proprietary messaging, except with colored bubbles. It basically manufacturers peer pressure for people to buy an apple phone, works especially great on teenagers.
Well, EU has strong competition laws and shit gets dealt with sooner or later. Apple was put in front of a choice, adopt RCS like everyone else, or have iMessage designated as a core platform service. Which would basically mean falling under entirely different set of laws and regulations busting apples business model. Apple chose to adopt RCS.
Holy fuck these comments are like 20% helpful.
When you message iphone to iPhone it sends over your data connection (the internet) which is why you can see typing indicators and send very large videos in good quality. It also allows you to be able to text with only a wifi connection if you’re in a place with bad cell reception.
This is also how Android phones text to each other.
Before this tech existed, phones texted over your cell phones normal phone signal that it uses to make calls. This is good because it doesn’t need an internet connection to text, but it’s bad because it’s limited to sending low quality images and VERY low quality videos, just because the tech doesn’t allow much information to be sent.
RCS is the name of the tech that allows for the texting over your phones internet connection, but instead of using this, Apple made its own (imessage) and made it so when you text non apple phones it defaults to the old style of texting with all the limitations I mentioned. Apple didn’t have to do this, they just did because they wanted it to be a pain in the ass to text android phones to bring everyone into their walled garden, and in the US this worked better than they ever could have hoped. Apple could have implemented texting android phones over rcs a long time ago, so that you could send and receive high quality videos to and from android users (among other benefits) but they just didn’t.
It’s a big deal because nobody ever really thought they would do this. Seemed like it came out of nowhere, and it’s going to be much easier for iPhone users to text friends with Android phones a lot easier and less annoying. Obviously there’s whatsapp and signal which also work the same as imessage and rcs, but that’s mostly irrelevant to the question.
Hope that helps.
Latest Answers