Google Exec Pushing RCS Adoption Says He's 'Not Asking Apple to Make iMessage Available on Android'

[jimbobb24]

Forget teens. I work to ostracize people in my chat groups with those green icons where they “like” a message and it repeats the message. Mostly joking…

 

[jimbobb24]

SMS/MMS is a horrible experience with modern devices. It needs to be replaced, and Apple is the last holdout. Google gets to finally work to sunset SMS if they can get Apple onboard the RCS train.

Apple did replace it with encrypted iMessages.

 

[nicolas_s]

 

[Shirasaki]

Ok Google, kill off iMessage smh if you can and end the tyranny of coloured bubble in iOS. I’m tired to see coloured bubbles in iMessage app and the sort of status symbols. It makes no sense.

Also, it’s apple who ignited the entire bubble color culture. If they don’t want to solve this problem, who can?

 

[Shirasaki]

Apple did replace it with encrypted iMessages.

Which is STILL iMessage. Surprise, I know.

 

[minimo3]

Apple should oblige and add RCS support to the messages app. RCS messages will be identified as bright yellow bubbles with white text!

 

[Shirasaki]

His reasoning is a joke too. Like it is Apple's fault if people are willing to bully people over something so silly as what phone people use. That issue lies with the people doing the bullying and the parents that are raising them, not Apple. What he is talking about is just a symptom of the problem of people becoming more narcissistic, materialistic, and mean-spirited.

Let’s imagine this for a sec: if there is no Color difference in chat bubble, where would those hatred come from? Everyone is green, so everyone is equal. Apple might not be the one who fuel the flame, but they ARE the one who introduces Color text bubble, and here we are.

 

[djgamble]

I wouldn't expect support, period. RCS is a stream of other closed-user groups, deployments that only talk to themselves and none of the others - it's just a catch-all term of expected functionality. In order to get inside Google's version, they'd need to give Google access to Messages, or allow Google access to SMS -- another app. Google doesn't make it's API available, it's totally closed. In both scenarios, Google would be able to read at-rest data and harvest it... which is kinda what their real business is and what they really want. The data.

Exactly! Which is why this is a nice feature for those who are within the Apple ecosystem, but not something available for Android.

There's a range of other apps people can use (e.g. Whatsapp) if they wanna break the bubble. I can't see why Google harvesting this data would be better than Facebook. When people choose to break the blue bubble, there's enough choices. If Google REALLY wanted to work with Apple then they wouldn't have so blatantly copied their OS from day 1.

 

[Sikh]

..."Apple is "holding back the industry"...

Interesting how its usually "apple is behind" and all this ******** but now its Apple is holding back the industry? LMAOOOOOOOO

But seriously RCS is trash and so is normal SMS. I do think there should be a "universal" chat solution but I dont believe RCS is it.

 

[huge_apple_fangirl]

Since when is RCS the standard? RCS has been Google's hobby for the past couple of years after their other chat apps failed. US carriers have not been particularly enthusiastic either. Apple is not blocking anything. If RCS becomes established and universal over the next few years, I'm sure Apple will support it.

Google has a strategy of trying to create new standards and force everyone else to follow them ASAP. They've effectively done this on the web with Chrome already, and act like Apple is the problematic one for not having Safari immediately support everything Chrome does. Google trying to claim Apple is blocking RCS is the same argument. Google: just because you are on board with something, it does not make it a standard and Apple is not obligated to follow you.

 

[SFjohn]

This thread will blow up, and a lot of ingorance is already posted. Here are some facts:

-RCS is not owned by Google. It's very much like SMS. There are various RCS profiles that can be used. Some talk to one another, some do not. Some are E2E encrypted, some are not. Apple can certainly use whichever profile they want.

-Yes, RCS can be E2E encrypted. It doesn't have to be, though. Apple can choose to use a profile that is.

-RCS is to replace SMS, not iMessage. There are many iMessage-only features that cannot be duplicated by RCS. RCS will likely still be Green bubbled.

-Again, RCS is a modern SMS. It's not designed to replace WhatsApp, WeChat, iMessage, etc.

The argument most are making is Apple is refusing to support RCS because those Green bubbles will not not suck as much.. you'll get delivery and read receipts, see typing, have high quality images, etc. So an iPhone users won't bully Green bubble people as much. The argument is this is bad for Apple business, because if Green bubbles are less bullied, maybe people will switch.

whether or not this will stop green bubble bullying, who knows. Even if it doesn't, one has to ask... why won't Apple support this standard protocol, then? What are the downsides to RCS over SMS (and to be clear, of RCS fails, it'll fall back to SMS still)?

Why would they, when iMessage does everything Apple wants it to do already? Apple wants to sell more iPhones, and every year they do. They don’t need to solve pain points for Android.

 

[minimo3]

If Google really wanted to connect people thru messaging they should be going after the biggest players first to get them to adopt RCS I.e. WhatsApp has the most users at 2B, followed by Facebook messenger at 1.3B, then WeChat at 1.2B, iMessage doesn’t even crack the top 5. It’s a classic move learnt in PR class - go after the no.1 player for maximum effect

 

[SFjohn]

There's an "Increase Color Contrast" option in the settings for that.

Ah, that explains why mine are so easy to read, large text + expanded contrast. I’ve never had an issue with it.

 

[SFjohn]

This. This right here. Do You know how hard it is to get some of my non techie, android user friends to understand how to send me high quality pictures they have taken during our adventures? I’ve learned to just take pictures on my phone or settle for the lower quality on theirs.

You could just ask them to email the pics to you.

 

[Shirasaki]

Google tracks all users. Academic research study published maybe 3 years ago found Android phones report back to Google over 100 times per hour even when sitting face down and untouched. Google tracks users more than the public has any idea.

Yeah, I mean, google with all of their machine learning skills can track E2E RCS message as well if they are determined. Being E2E doesn’t mean you won’t be tracked.

Make no mistake...Apple's number one goal is to make money. They think through all strategies around their products and services, as it relates to improving their bottom line. You don't become a 3 trillion dollar company by accident...it's their mission.

And hurting everyone else in the process. A charity can never be $3T company. But I don’t want to dig deeper into this rabbit hole.

 

[macsplusmacs]

They dropped the ball and all the "smart people" at google then kicked the ball, the ball rolled down a hill. The ball then rolled into a train station. Where it boarded a train. A whistle blew and the conductor said. "all aboard! Next stop, outer Mongolia"

 

[macsplusmacs]

" They don’t need to solve pain points for Android."

Boom.

Thank you SJJohn. the best comment of the thread.

 

[aajeevlin]

an universal message/chat app should be opensource

I'm all for compeition, but I agree, I'm so TIRED of having to chat via 5 different apps.

 

[RONS67]

I didn't say Google doesn't track users, I said show me how Google tracks RCS users. It's possible they do (being Google it wouldn't even surprise me), however, there's no indication that Google can track RCS users, especially not if Apple were to deploy their own RCS infrastructure.

Please stop trying to play logic games. Google sucks for tracking and a lot of us iPhone users just don't want any further involvement with the company.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Let’s imagine this for a sec: if there is no Color difference in chat bubble, where would those hatred come from? Everyone is green, so everyone is equal. Apple might not be the one who fuel the flame, but they ARE the one who introduces Color text bubble, and here we are.

It’s important to have it. Before unlimited text messaging, each one of those green bubbles for me was 10 cents. Even if it was an iPhone, if it had a bad data connection it would come over SMS and “ding” 10 cents.

I would imagine in Europe and other places, it’s still VERY valuable to know whether or not you can reply to someone free or for cost.

 

[BuffaloTF]

None of what you said is correct.

Everything I said is correct… Google Messages is a closed source deployment of RCS, fully hosted and serviced by Google. There are no active APIs available to tie in. Ergo, only the Google Messages app can be used to send RCS on that system. That’s why all the other RCS apps don’t function with it, and also why none of the available RCS apps communicate with each other. You know, Joyn, Chat, Advanced Messages, Messages+, et al.

 

[Black Magic]

I don't know anybody who voluntarily uses iMessage or SMS. Those are antiquated systems.

It's all WhatsApp or WeChat.

WeChat is mined by the Chinese Government. Not a great option.

 

[benspratling]

So... google is trying to sell more products by undoing the lock in caused by iMessage, by condemning apple publicly for using peer pressure and bullying to try to sell products..... look in the mirror much?

 

[Shirasaki]

It’s important to have it. Before unlimited text messaging, each one of those green bubbles for me was 10 cents. Even if it was an iPhone, if it had a bad data connection it would come over SMS and “ding” 10 cents.

I would imagine in Europe and other places, it’s still VERY valuable to know whether or not you can reply to someone free or for cost.

Ok then. I wonder how Android handles all of this, coloured bubble? Afaik, coloured bubble is only a thing in iOS. Correct me if I’m wrong. Besides, there’s other ways to stop spending money on SMS, for example. turning off “Send as SMS” feature in iOS, or maybe turn that off on a per contact basis (if iOS cares this enough to implement it which I highly doubt).

 

[Shirasaki]

WeChat is mined by the Chinese Government. Not a great option.

Our data is being actively mined by someone regardless. It’s just who mines it safer than others.