In an era where instant messaging applications evolve, the good old SMS has fallen behind in the race.
Unless you use your iPhone – or in the Apple ecosystem – the iMessage rather cold to be used with a blue exclusivity.
Google in recent years has made a serious effort to improve the messages on Android with RCS – Rich Communication Services.
But had trouble convincing Apple to join for a more unified messaging system on mobile platforms.
However, Google needs more than Apple to enhance the message on the Android smartphone.
What RCS and how it will enhance the message on AndroidRCS is rich communication services and is actually a replacement of the existing SMS and MMS (MMS is not at all today?) System.
RCS is not really new and emerging in 2007 and the industry trade body GSMA took over in 2008.
In subsequent years, there has been but only in 2019, Google came into the picture.
Think platform quite like WhatsApp – live chats, send photos, videos, documents – and put it into the Messaging app on an Android phone and you get what is RCS.
Why Google wants Apple on board for RCS? Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president, Google explained in a series of tweets, which came after quite openly accused Apple ‘intimidation’.
Lockheimer said that Google did not ask Apple to make iMessage available on Android.
“We asked Apple to support the industry standard for modern messaging (RCS) in iMessage, just as they support the old SMS / MMS standard,” he said in a tweet.
Google’s argument is pretty solid as Lockheimer explained, “SMS has evolved, and it was better.
You can see the read receipts, typing indicators, better group, securing a 1: 1 messages (group coming soon) etc.
It’s a new standard called RCS, and it is available now “.
He further said that the RCS supports will enhance the experience for both iOS and Android users alike.
“By not incorporating RCS, Apple hold the industry and withstand not only the user experience for Android users but also their own customers,” he tweeted.
Google’s patchy history with a message appsThere too many failed experiments in Google’s portfolio in the last decade or so when it comes to messaging.
Apple introduced iMessage in 2011 and since then has increased greatly.
Google, on the other hand, the Android message was slow to react to iMessage.
WhatsApp came and swooped in and Google’s Android user base is: a) slow to react; and b) do not really have to stand out messaging applications.
Google has been in the game a lot longer messages than any other company.
Back in 2005 when GTalk introduced and we saw 16 years of creating, improving, killing and were a bit confused as to what the message (pun intended) it wants to send to the user.
Google Hangouts may have been the most successful messaging service from Google.
However it has been tinkering around a lot.
So much so that it was ‘killed’ last year was replaced by Google Chat.
Then there are Google Allo – a direct rival WhatsApp – which was launched in 2016.
Being a Google app, there is a buzz early but it was a bit all over the place, which means that it did not even last for several years and was closed in 2019.
Google has tried to put a message in many of its applications.
There are YouTube Links, Maps Messages, Message Stadia – but none of them has really taken off.
If the SMS has been in bed over the years, a lot of it is down to Google not get the right message for years.
Will RCS will work for Google and Apple to get on board? RCS looks quite the practical and solid on paper.
But Google is the history of a rather checkered for getting it wrong when it comes to messaging applications.
A big problem for the RCS will that was launched in 2008 and some systems can not be modified.
For example, no encryption end-to-end to RCS, a feature that a lot of things for those who value privacy.
Google believes that getting Apple on board may make RCS global roll out and on a mass scale.
But Apple is very unlikely to get on board.
Apple has made it quite clear on several occasions that however does not want people to leave their ecosystem.
iMessage is an integral part of the ecosystem.
If Apple does not receive the RCS then the ‘exclusivity’ would be lost and the message to users of Android will become easier.
What could be causing many iPhone users may switch to Android and it’s a chance Apple is unlikely to take.
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