For Google, there is no question of bringing iMessage to Android. The American firm wants Apple to support the RCS.
Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president of platforms and ecosystems at Google, retracted his statement to the Washington Post newspaper. Where he said: ” The solutions already exist and we encourage Apple to join the rest of the mobile industry in implementing them. We believe that people should be able to connect with each other without artificial boundaries. It just doesn’t have to be like that. “. A statement that has been widely taken up, including in our columns.
In a series of tweets on his personal account, he gave some details on what he expects.
No iMessage on Android, but RCS support
Google is not asking Apple to make iMessage available on Android. In fact, Google would like Apple to integrate RCS into iMessage.
We’re not asking Apple to make iMessage available on Android. We’re asking Apple to support the industry standard for modern messaging (RCS) in iMessage, just as they support the older SMS / MMS standards.
– Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) January 10, 2022
According to Google, this is the best interoperability solution: “If you want to contact someone and you don’t know if they are using the x, y or z app, you are sure to send a SMS will work. This is because it is a standard supported by virtually all mobile devices. This is probably why Apple took over texting to begin with. “. The SMS has nevertheless evolved… and it is the RCS which is promoted by the mobile operators now. Additional functions, confidentiality, security… Google is convinced that this is the option that Apple should favor.
By not incorporating RCS, Apple is putting the brakes on the industry and user experience not only for Android users, but for their own customers as well.
The RCS is a kind of improved SMS, the RCS allows to enrich conversations by adding options such as sending images or videos in high definition, creating group discussions, sharing position, possibility to see if the recipient has read our message and to know if he is currently writing. You are probably already using RCS without realizing it.
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