My Thoughts On Why Apple Does Not Care About Supporting RCS On iPhones
For the last little while, Google has been aggressively trying to Apple to adopt RCS or Rich Communication Services in iMessage. RCS is the standard that some, but not all Android users use to text each other using “rich text” which can include multi-media using either the Google Messages app or another compatible app. If that sounds familiar, that’s because RCS is similar to what is known as iMessage on the iPhone. The problem is the RCS and iMessage don’t play nice with each other and Google wants to fix that. For example, Google has set up this website to encourage Apple to “fix” messaging by adopting RCS in Apple’s Messages app. Apple meanwhile from what anyone from the outside can tell doesn’t seem interested in adopting RCS. And even Tim Cook has been known to throw some shade on RCS:
Back to the central question. Other than that snarky remark, why does Apple seem not to be interested in adopting RCS? The reason I think is simple. Let me give the the long explanation first.
if Apple did adopt RCS, that would fix Android users texting non-Android users, which is another way of saying Apple iPhone users, instantly. But there’s no gain there for Apple. So that’s not a reason. And adopting RCS won’t attract and keep users on iPhones. So there’s no reason there either. And most importantly, not all cell phone carriers support RCS. Meanwhile iMessage is independent of the carrier. Something that I know that carriers hate because they have no control over it. Thus there’s another reason for Apple not to support it as they have complete control over iMessage without those pesky carriers getting in the way of their plans for world domination. Or more seriously, getting in the way of controlling the feature set of iMessage. Even Apple doing the right thing by stopping the teenage bullying that goes on between the blue bubble (iPhone users) crowd and the green bubble (non-iPhone users, A.K.A. Android users) crowd is not an incentive for Apple to support RCS. Even if Google has tried to call Apple out on profiting from the bullying in question.
Here’s the TL:DR version. Apple has nothing to gain by supporting RCS. They are perfectly fine with the status quo as it works for them. And until there’s a real incentive to change course, they won’t. Google needs to sell them something other than “You could fix texting for Android users and to stop teenagers from bullying each other!” Because Apple won’t ever care about Android users. Except the ones that the can switch to an iPhone. Which apparently is a thing. And when it comes to teens, this story suggests that a lot of them get iPhones to fix that green and blue bubble problem. So until Apple sees a real need to support RCS on iPhone that benefits them, RCS won’t be showing up on iPhones anytime soon. If ever.
This entry was posted on June 21, 2023 at 8:48 am and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
My Thoughts On Why Apple Does Not Care About Supporting RCS On iPhones
For the last little while, Google has been aggressively trying to Apple to adopt RCS or Rich Communication Services in iMessage. RCS is the standard that some, but not all Android users use to text each other using “rich text” which can include multi-media using either the Google Messages app or another compatible app. If that sounds familiar, that’s because RCS is similar to what is known as iMessage on the iPhone. The problem is the RCS and iMessage don’t play nice with each other and Google wants to fix that. For example, Google has set up this website to encourage Apple to “fix” messaging by adopting RCS in Apple’s Messages app. Apple meanwhile from what anyone from the outside can tell doesn’t seem interested in adopting RCS. And even Tim Cook has been known to throw some shade on RCS:
Back to the central question. Other than that snarky remark, why does Apple seem not to be interested in adopting RCS? The reason I think is simple. Let me give the the long explanation first.
if Apple did adopt RCS, that would fix Android users texting non-Android users, which is another way of saying Apple iPhone users, instantly. But there’s no gain there for Apple. So that’s not a reason. And adopting RCS won’t attract and keep users on iPhones. So there’s no reason there either. And most importantly, not all cell phone carriers support RCS. Meanwhile iMessage is independent of the carrier. Something that I know that carriers hate because they have no control over it. Thus there’s another reason for Apple not to support it as they have complete control over iMessage without those pesky carriers getting in the way of their plans for world domination. Or more seriously, getting in the way of controlling the feature set of iMessage. Even Apple doing the right thing by stopping the teenage bullying that goes on between the blue bubble (iPhone users) crowd and the green bubble (non-iPhone users, A.K.A. Android users) crowd is not an incentive for Apple to support RCS. Even if Google has tried to call Apple out on profiting from the bullying in question.
Here’s the TL:DR version. Apple has nothing to gain by supporting RCS. They are perfectly fine with the status quo as it works for them. And until there’s a real incentive to change course, they won’t. Google needs to sell them something other than “You could fix texting for Android users and to stop teenagers from bullying each other!” Because Apple won’t ever care about Android users. Except the ones that the can switch to an iPhone. Which apparently is a thing. And when it comes to teens, this story suggests that a lot of them get iPhones to fix that green and blue bubble problem. So until Apple sees a real need to support RCS on iPhone that benefits them, RCS won’t be showing up on iPhones anytime soon. If ever.
Share this:
Like this:
Related
This entry was posted on June 21, 2023 at 8:48 am and is filed under Commentary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.