Would Apple lets Android OEM's license iMessage and/or AirDrop?

[El3ctronics]

Seeing today that HTC licensed Airplay from Apple, it got me thinking about other potential opportunities. To me, the number one thing keeping me using an iPhone is iMessage (with AirDrop a close second). Being that all my family and friends use it, it keeps communication seamless and efficient.

Now that's obviously a double edged sword for Apple. As I said, those are services that KEEP me buying iPhones. While I'd love to see them license those services, it may end up leading to them selling fewer devices which is probably not beneficial to the company as a whole.

So do you guys think that this is a possibility or is it a pipe dream? Will we ever see an Android device with iMessage and/or AirDrop capabilities?

 

[Lloydbm41]

Seeing today that HTC licensed Airplay from Apple, it got me thinking about other potential opportunities. To me, the number one thing keeping me using an iPhone is iMessage (with AirDrop a close second). Being that all my family and friends use it, it keeps communication seamless and efficient.

Now that's obviously a double edged sword for Apple. As I said, those are services that KEEP me buying iPhones. While I'd love to see them license those services, it may end up leading to them selling fewer devices which is probably not beneficial to the company as a whole.

So do you guys think that this is a possibility or is it a pipe dream? Will we ever see an Android device with iMessage and/or AirDrop capabilities?

1. HTC and Apple have a cross-licensing agreement and Airplay doesn't require access to Apple's servers
2. Apple either doesn't have the server capacity to handle all Android devices using their servers for iMessage and/or Facetime, or they are unwilling to do the coding required to get Android access to their servers.

So, never gonna happen.

 

[aneftp]

1. HTC and Apple have a cross-licensing agreement and Airplay doesn't require access to Apple's servers
2. Apple either doesn't have the server capacity to handle all Android devices using their servers for iMessage and/or Facetime, or they are unwilling to do the coding required to get Android access to their servers.

So, never gonna happen.

FaceTime originally was supposed to be open source/standard. Steve Jobs even said it himself. So not sure what happened.

http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/facetime-open-standard-never-happened/2012-12-06

 

[thewitt]

It would not surprise me to see FaceTime still emerge as an open source/standard platform. Not sure about iMessage.

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

FaceTime originally was supposed to be open source/standard. Steve Jobs even said it himself. So not sure what happened.

http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/facetime-open-standard-never-happened/2012-12-06

Legal issues killed that off. Story is well described with some quick Googling.

 

[RickInHouston]

apple phone sales can't survive if imessage and Facetime became open source.

 

[epicrayban]

Like BBM, I wouldn't hold my breath for iMessage until Apple starts losing money.

 

[thewitt]

apple phone sales can't survive if imessage and Facetime became open source.

I doubt that very much.

I don't use FaceTime at all, and iMessage is about 5% of my messaging.

 

[Surf Donkey]

Or maybe Apple is the one the needs to allow open standards in the future. Google is working on a platform using RCS.

https://jibe.google.com/

 

[AliMacs]

Seeing today that HTC licensed Airplay from Apple, it got me thinking about other potential opportunities. To me, the number one thing keeping me using an iPhone is iMessage (with AirDrop a close second). Being that all my family and friends use it, it keeps communication seamless and efficient.

Now that's obviously a double edged sword for Apple. As I said, those are services that KEEP me buying iPhones. While I'd love to see them license those services, it may end up leading to them selling fewer devices which is probably not beneficial to the company as a whole.

So do you guys think that this is a possibility or is it a pipe dream? Will we ever see an Android device with iMessage and/or AirDrop capabilities?

Why? I buy an android it is separate from an i-device because it doesn't have iMessage/Airdrop - iMessage I don't care for I just use signal/whatsapp. Or I send an SMS to their iPhone. I don't crave for it because it's also limited, i can't customize anything. I can't send anything other than audio, video, and text. WhatsApp is way more feature rich.

As for Airdrop IT IS NICE AND CONVENIENT - that's if it works all the time - sending a lot of files sometimes will bug out and doesn't work. There are alternative apps now that allow you to wifi transfer between different platforms so this is all moot.

I'd like FaceTime to work cross platform but then again it's still so limited you can't do what hangouts can do in video - that is talk to multiple people at the same time - even Skype allows you to do this but not on iOS.

Overall it should be the other way around - apple should be offering their software on android instead. Android users couldn't give you two dungs about wanting iOS features.

 

[stringent]

I use FaceTime at home as the phone signal is weak or non existent. Handy for the odd audio call, or sending a video feed to my dad going "what do you suggest to fix this?"

 

[lowendlinux]

Even if they did I wouldn't use it.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Or maybe Apple is the one the needs to allow open standards in the future. Google is working on a platform using RCS.

https://jibe.google.com/

I would love for RCS to come to all carriers and all phone OEMS. iMessage (and iPhoto Sharing) are the things keeping me from ordering a HTC 10 right now! We (as a very large family on my side and my wife's side) share way too much multimedia of kids, family, etc. Everyone in this group has an iPhone and so it's just easier to share videos, photos, etc. Plus, having everyone download a 3rd party app just to share with me is a non-starter.

 

[Surf Donkey]

I would love for RCS to come to all carriers and all phone OEMS. iMessage (and iPhoto Sharing) are the things keeping me from ordering a HTC 10 right now! We (as a very large family on my side and my wife's side) share way too much multimedia of kids, family, etc. Everyone in this group has an iPhone and so it's just easier to share videos, photos, etc. Plus, having everyone download a 3rd party app just to share with me is a non-starter.

Had the same issue, but my wife and I moved to Android. The rest of the family just needs to install Google Photos app on their iPhones to see pictures now. It is not ideal I agree, but they want to see pictures so they do it ;-) Google Photos is not as nice as a iCloud photo shared albums though. First, because people can't comment or give a smile face (it is nice to share that feedback) and Second, because you can't sort by date!! This drives me crazy!!! With kids, grandparents want to see the most recent pictures first. But no, you have to scroll all the way to the bottom to see the new pictures every time. This seems so basic and is just why of those "why google?" things. If Apple let me share directly to iCloud photos from my Android I would do it in a heartbeat.

Really don't notice much missing without iMessage honestly. I really don't get the iMessage hype. All I see different is you can't see when someone is typing. And the bubbles are green.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Had the same issue, but my wife and I moved to Android. The rest of the family just needs to install Google Photos app on their iPhones to see pictures now. It is not ideal I agree, but they want to see pictures so they do it ;-) Google Photos is not as nice as a iCloud photo shared albums though. First, because people can't comment or give a smile face (it is nice to share that feedback) and Second, because you can't sort by date!! This drives me crazy!!! With kids, grandparents want to see the most recent pictures first. But no, you have to scroll all the way to the bottom to see the new pictures every time. This seems so basic and is just why of those "why google?" things. If Apple let me share directly to iCloud photos from my Android I would do it in a heartbeat.

Really don't notice much missing without iMessage honestly. I really don't get the iMessage hype. All I see different is you can't see when someone is typing. And the bubbles are green.

the iMessage "hype" is sharing videos / photos at full resolution instead of the cut down resolution of MMS. Yes, I could share every photo with Google Photos (with the downsides you mentioned), but I'm on text chains with all different family members from both sides of the family. By being that one "green" guy, the whole chain gets switched to MMS and everyone gets the crappy resolution version of the video of my 6 month old baby girl trying solid foods for the first time Don't get me wrong, I'm not on iPhone just because my family is. I still prefer the complete package of my 6s compared to all the android flagships I've tried recently. The phones tempting me away is the S7 Edge and the HTC 10. But not enough to actually make me switch.

 

[El3ctronics]

the iMessage "hype" is sharing videos / photos at full resolution instead of the cut down resolution of MMS. Yes, I could share every photo with Google Photos (with the downsides you mentioned), but I'm on text chains with all different family members from both sides of the family. By being that one "green" guy, the whole chain gets switched to MMS and everyone gets the crappy resolution version of the video of my 6 month old baby girl trying solid foods for the first time Don't get me wrong, I'm not on iPhone just because my family is. I still prefer the complete package of my 6s compared to all the android flagships I've tried recently. The phones tempting me away is the S7 Edge and the HTC 10. But not enough to actually make me switch.

Exactly. For group messaging with inline media there is no better native solution. Asking everyone in my family and all my friends to download and use a third party app just so we can have the same functionality we already have natively is never going to stick. SMS/MMS is an antiquated system which is why there are so many 3rd party solutions trying to fix the problem. Unfortunately, being a 3rd party system, in itself, is too large of a barrier to ever get to 100% adoption.

 

[AFEPPL]

What happens if/when they are all on different platforms....? SMS anyone... its not aged, its the cost. people used to get charged. hence imsg.

 

[Surf Donkey]

the iMessage "hype" is sharing videos / photos at full resolution instead of the cut down resolution of MMS. Yes, I could share every photo with Google Photos (with the downsides you mentioned), but I'm on text chains with all different family members from both sides of the family. By being that one "green" guy, the whole chain gets switched to MMS and everyone gets the crappy resolution version of the video of my 6 month old baby girl trying solid foods for the first time Don't get me wrong, I'm not on iPhone just because my family is. I still prefer the complete package of my 6s compared to all the android flagships I've tried recently. The phones tempting me away is the S7 Edge and the HTC 10. But not enough to actually make me switch.

Yeah, I guess if it is High Resolution, I am not noticing it on the phone. Videos is an issue though on Android, but for videps and photos I want a group to see, I typically just share them via google photos vs MMS/iMessage. Probably why I have noticed little disturbance.

 

[co.ag.2005]

Yeah, I guess if it is High Resolution, I am not noticing it on the phone. Videos is an issue though on Android, but for videps and photos I want a group to see, I typically just share them via google photos vs MMS/iMessage. Probably why I have noticed little disturbance.

probably so it's mainly videos that I have the issue with. And it's not necessarily me sending them, it's me receiving them when I was on MMS (an android phone). But I'm glad Google Photos has evolved to where it is! And it keeps getting better. Hopefully they'll iron out some of the wrinkles you mentioned along the way.