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What’s the big deal about iMessage?

G

galaxycat

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 25, 2018
43
8
I just bought an iPhone XS Max. It’s the second iPhone I’ve tried Because of normally stop with the galaxy devices throughout the years. I’m one week in and I just can’t understand what the big deal about iMessage is. From what I’ve read it’s considered the best messaging app ever and causes people to stay in the apple ecosystem.

One thing I don’t understand is that if I am messaging friends or family that are using an android device I can’t send them videos without them being horribly compressed. If this is the case it’s truly not an all in one messaging solution because I have to use Facebook messenger to send videos to those people. On android I make sure that I send text messages and pictures through MMS and I use Messenger or another messaging app to send videos. Or share the link from my Google photos album.

This being said I’m having to do the same thing on my iPhone. Is there something I’m missing?
 
galaxycat said:
One thing I don’t understand is that if I am messaging friends or family that are using an android device I can’t send them videos without them being horribly compressed.
Click to expand...
It has to send horribly compressed videos to Android devices due to the limitations in SMS/MMS. They don't have iMessage. Apple can't force your friends and family to buy iPhones.
 
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iMessage strength is really great apple to apple, and pretty good when u text to someone on Android and it does it seamlessly. But when texting to non-apple users, it has all the limitations of SMS/MMS and at the moment there is nothing we can do about that since the carriers really control those protocols.

Another strength is being able to text from an iOS tablet or Mac. That’s the thing that makes me love it.

When things are done cross platform, then a 3rd party messaging service is a better way since they don’t use sms/mms at all. Downside is both sides of the conversations have to be using the same app.
 
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iMessage is great because all my messages can be sent, received from my iPhone, iPad, Mac. I generally interact with 25-50 people a day via message. So this is very helpful as most of my time is spent at a desk. iMessage on Mac saves me tons of time! Love it. Biggest reason for me to use iPhone/Mac.
 
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tromboneaholic said:
It has to send horribly compressed videos to Android devices due to the limitations in SMS/MMS. They don't have iMessage. Apple can't force your friends and family to buy iPhones.
Click to expand...
No they can’t but people talk about It like it’s so seamless and perfect while obviously it’s not. Only if your other family members and friends have iPhones. So in other words it’s no different than Android messaging apps. On android you have to make sure that when you’re messaging android or iOS contacts to use a Messenger service like Facebook messenger or WhatsApp. You have to do the same thing on iPhone if they’re an android user I just don’t see much of a difference unless your whole circle of friends and family uses the iPhone.
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SnacksGU said:
iMessage is great because all my messages can be sent, received from my iPhone, iPad, Mac. I generally interact with 25-50 people a day via message. So this is very helpful as most of my time is spent at a desk. iMessage on Mac saves me tons of time! Love it. Biggest reason for me to use iPhone/Mac.
Click to expand...
Now this point does make sense. Since I don’t really care about that and I use my phone to reply to all my messages it really doesn’t bother me in the fact I rarely even use my laptop anymore now that I have a smart phone. Smart phone has been my main computing device since around 2011. I basically just use it for media consumption and communication so I don’t really see any need for a laptop when I want to watch something on a bigger screen I just stream it to my television.
[doublepost=1540684071][/doublepost]
lparsons21 said:
iMessage strength is really great apple to apple, and pretty good when u text to someone on Android and it does it seamlessly. But when texting to non-apple users, it has all the limitations of SMS/MMS and at the moment there is nothing we can do about that since the carriers really control those protocols.

Another strength is being able to text from an iOS tablet or Mac. That’s the thing that makes me love it.

When things are done cross platform, then a 3rd party messaging service is a better way since they don’t use sms/mms at all. Downside is both sides of the conversations have to be using the same app.
Click to expand...
Yeah that does sound great if you’re using multiple devices like that. I guess I’m just so used to using android for the last Seven years that it’s no big deal for me to use Facebook messenger for any big files and SMS for someone that doesn’t have Facebook messenger. If I want to send anything bigger than a photo I just send them a link to my Google photos.
 
galaxycat said:
No they can’t but people talk about It like it’s so seamless and perfect while obviously it’s not. Only if your other family members and friends have iPhones. So in other words it’s no different than Android messaging apps. On android you have to make sure that when you’re messaging android or iOS contacts to use a Messenger service like Facebook messenger or WhatsApp. You have to do the same thing on iPhone if they’re an android user I just don’t see much of a difference unless your whole circle of friends and family uses the iPhone.
[doublepost=1540683778][/doublepost]
Now this point does make sense. Since I don’t really care about that and I use my phone to reply to all my messages it really doesn’t bother me in the fact I rarely even use my laptop anymore now that I have a smart phone. Smart phone has been my main computing device since around 2011. I basically just use it for media consumption and communication so I don’t really see any need for a laptop when I want to watch something on a bigger screen I just stream it to my television.
[doublepost=1540684071][/doublepost]
Yeah that does sound great if you’re using multiple devices like that. I guess I’m just so used to using android for the last Seven years that it’s no big deal for me to use Facebook messenger for any big files and SMS for someone that doesn’t have Facebook messenger. If I want to send anything bigger than a photo I just send them a link to my Google photos.
Click to expand...

Some people don’t use Facebook messenger.
You can use your iCloud email to send large files and it will email them a link to download the file.
 
Just to be clear I’m really not trying to put down iOS or iMessage. I’m just trying to understand. I tried an iPhone 6s a few years ago and now I’m trying out an iPhone XS Max. So far I have quite long list of things that Are annoying enough for me not to stick with the iPhone. I’m going to start another post to see if anyone has any solutions. I really want to like iOS.
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tromboneaholic said:
Some people don’t use Facebook messenger.
You can use your iCloud email to send large files and it will email them a link to download the file.
Click to expand...
Oh cool so kind of the same thing as sending a google drive link or Samsung sharing. Good to know!
 
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I'm on an iphone in Japan--most people will just use the LINE app. I'll use imessage for friends back home with iPhones, LINE with Japanese friends or non-iphone and occasionally Messenger. Different strokes for different folks!
 
galaxycat said:
I just bought an iPhone XS Max. It’s the second iPhone I’ve tried Because of normally stop with the galaxy devices throughout the years. I’m one week in and I just can’t understand what the big deal about iMessage is. From what I’ve read it’s considered the best messaging app ever and causes people to stay in the apple ecosystem.

One thing I don’t understand is that if I am messaging friends or family that are using an android device I can’t send them videos without them being horribly compressed. If this is the case it’s truly not an all in one messaging solution because I have to use Facebook messenger to send videos to those people. On android I make sure that I send text messages and pictures through MMS and I use Messenger or another messaging app to send videos. Or share the link from my Google photos album.

This being said I’m having to do the same thing on my iPhone. Is there something I’m missing?
Click to expand...

It just a teeny weeny little deal...since very few in the world (ex USA) uses it.
 
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galaxycat said:
No they can’t but people talk about It like it’s so seamless and perfect while obviously it’s not. Only if your other family members and friends have iPhones.
Click to expand...

Exactly and this goes into the whole ecosystem thing. It's great if most of the people you talk to also use iPhones and it's common for an entire family to all use iPhones. For example, everyone I regularly text uses an iPhone and thus using the Messages app is great. As for the small number of Android users, well, Messages will do the right thing plus it's usually only text messages when I'm texting them anyway.
 
The strength is that it works not only with iMessage and all the advantages of that platform, but with the entire text message universe, and it does so reliably and seamlessly. You don’t have to ask anyone to join your network. It just works, and for Apple users, just works from whatever device you happen to be using.

Even services like WhatsApp are exceptionally limited in comparison.
 
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