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walnuts

macrumors 6502a
Nov 8, 2007
591
333
Brooklyn, NY
This isn’t Apple at its nicest, but it’s understandable. Most messaging platforms (including platform agnostic ones like WhatsApp) aren’t working for interoperability. As discussed on ATP, there likely isn’t any features that would compel people to switch, so lock in (or just what you happen to be with) is the best thing that platforms have to keep customers.

It’s not “the industry” pushing Apple to adopt RCS, it’s Google. They couldn’t get their messaging strategy right (creating multiple platforms, letting most of them die) so they don’t have a great platform themselves. Absent that, they want Apple to adopt RCS to stop customers from leaving Google to better communicate with at least Apple people. It would only benefit Google and not help Apple.

Sure it’s not great for customers but looking at the industry no one is really doing great at making a universal interoperable messaging system.
 

iSRS

macrumors 6502
Mar 2, 2010
468
291
"The lack of RCS support on iOS makes it much harder for iOS and Android users to communicate normally, forcing them to use third-party messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram."
Can someone explains me what makes it harder to communicate with Android users? The only difference I see is the green bubbles.
Yeah, I thought that too.

also, RCS does not yet have full end to end encryption on group chats, so it would be a step backwards from iMessage
 
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RickDEGH

macrumors 6502a
Sep 15, 2018
569
1,029
Frankfurt, Deutschland 🇩🇪
It's about elevating the experience for all. It doesn't hurt Apple to allow interoperability but interoperability puts a door in the ecosystem. Can't have that now can we? :(

Lowest-common-denominator SMS Txt messaging is bad when there are better options. Use the better options when they are available. That's all that's being asked here. It's an unreasonable answer by Tim and Apple.
Such a dishonest reporter. Maybe Tim didn’t want to say it, but there are other options - WhatsApp, Signal, Skype, etc. Why must it be Tim who does something for you to be able to communicate with your parents.
 

jumpcutking

macrumors 6502
Nov 6, 2020
300
182
Remember for a long time Android didn’t have this standard. iMessage was one of the best messaging platform for communication during that time. I don’t know about you but if someone took one of my features and made “something new” and tried to get me to use it… I’d be a little sore. Plus iMessage and Continuity are one of the few reasons why iPhone users use iPhones over android.
 

Whathappened

Suspended
Mar 15, 2018
537
648
Makes sense, Tim knows they aren't coming out with much new things when it comes to iPhone hardware these days and if there weren't any iMessage barriers in place a lot more people would leave for Android devices. They are basically trying to lock people in instead of coming out with fun new hardware.

I can understand not jumping on RCS but if they cared about their users they'd make an iMessage app for Android.
If they cared for their users they’d make an app for their non users.
Please try again!
 

Shanghaichica

macrumors G5
Apr 8, 2013
14,641
13,142
UK
"The lack of RCS support on iOS makes it much harder for iOS and Android users to communicate normally, forcing them to use third-party messaging platforms such as WhatsApp or Telegram."
Can someone explains me what makes it harder to communicate with Android users? The only difference I see is the green bubbles.
Google just throwing their toys out of the pram. I communicate with android users just fine. I don‘t need an intervention from Apple.
 

ofarlig

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2015
865
1,053
Sweden
If they cared for their users they’d make an app for their non users.
Please try again!

I as a user would be very helped by being able to use iMessage to more of my friends instead of using iMessage to some, SMS to some and WhatsApp to some.

If I were to switch to Android my parents that use iOS would love to be acne to use iMessage still since that’s what they are used to.

So yes it is helping their users even though it does mean they would lose some people. They could compete with better hardware of course but they are too lazy for that these days.
 
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Shanghaichica

macrumors G5
Apr 8, 2013
14,641
13,142
UK
I think this is a strictly US-only phenomenon. Here in Asia, WhatsApp rules the roost. Ironically, the issue here is that I can't find anyone to use iMessage with. 😕
Same WhatsApp is king here even though we have a hiPhone percentage of iPhone users.
 
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JM

macrumors 601
Nov 23, 2014
4,082
6,373
This article title and photo made it seem like an Onion article. Ha.
 

Saturn1217

macrumors 65816
Apr 28, 2008
1,271
847
“Buy your mom an iPhone”

What a horrible classist and sexist thing to say.

My mom has an Android phone. That is the phone SHE chose and prefers to use. I’m not forcing her onto iOS just because Apple won’t support RCS.

We’ll continue using WhatsApp for now but this attitude from Tim Cook sucks.
 
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