I asked if people chose iPhone for the blue bubbles elsewhere a couple days ago, and while there was some good discourse on that post, the blue bubbles definitely also came up as a reason.

In my experience, when people find out my texts are green, they oftentimes would rather switch to a different platform altogether like Instagram or just not text at all.

Is this actually a deal-breaker in friendships out there?

  • spartanatreyu@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    You’re both right and wrong.

    Right:

    1. Google does have a management problem that incentivizes creating new messenger apps instead of supporting existing services, this has nothing to do with RCS though.
    2. Google is trolling Apple.

    Wrong:

    1. RCS is not a downgrade to Apple’s proprietary protocol (unless you consider sending a laser show screen overlay animation as a specific feature, and not an easter egg)
    2. Everyone inside only Apple or only RCS has the same features (message reactions, high quality media, x is typing, seen timestamps, etc…)
    3. RCS is open, Apple’s protocols are proprietary. No one but Apple can access their own proprietary protocols. Apple could support RCS if they wanted to. Apple is entirely responsible for the friction between their own protocol and RCS.

    Prediction:

    Apple will continue trying to control their own bubble to force people to purchase iPhones as long as possible. They will attempt to stall any EU regulations on standardized messaging with deceptive rebuttable that will take politicians time to realise that they hold no real weight. Eventually those arguments will be pulled apart and Apple will be forced to include a future RCS version as a supported fallback. (just like how the EU is forcing apple to allow third-party app stores, and USB-C connections)

    • carbotect@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I just don’t see it happening. There is already fragmentation between each carriers’ implementation of RCS. It is so bad that Google made their own servers for hosting RCS for Google Messages users.

      This results in a situation where RCS messages send by Google Messages to another user of Google Messages have more features like e2ee which are not available if you use another app. RCS messages from Samsung’s app would for example not have this feature.

      iMessage itself also has more features than RCS. Built in e2ee would be a big one, and aome other more vain ones. I am sure Apple could add even more features, until the EU will finally mandate RCS compatibility for everyone in 10 years.

      RCS is just a slight upgrade of green bubble SMS, something like Signal or even WhatsApp would still be superior.

      RCS is just a shit protocol, outdated before even arrival.

      • spartanatreyu@programming.devEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        E2E:

        As far as I understand, Google wants to treat RCS similar to how it treats web:

        1. Have a standard
        2. experiment with some extensions
        3. learn what works and what doesn’t
        4. build what works into the standard
        5. repeat

        In that case, e2e encryption is coming to RCS.

        I know Samsung is also experimenting with e2e encryption too.

        Other:

        iMessage itself also has more features than RCS. Built in e2ee would be a big one, and aome other more vain ones.

        What other notable features (besides e2e which is discussed above) does iMessage have?

        […] Signal or even WhatsApp would still be superior.

        (Besides e2e,) What features to Signal and/or WhatsApp provide?

        • carbotect@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          The biggest feature that WhatsApp and Signal provide over RCS, is the fact that you can use them on iOS.

          Right now RCS in practise is just another walled garden, that not every phone with every carrier can join.

          Apple will likely never implement RCS, especially not right now where the best RCS experience is reliant on Google servers and propietary Google extensions.

          Only government intervention could force Apple’s hand. But I don’t believe the EU will implement such a law in the next 10 years. America, where this issue actually matters, probably not even in 20 years.

          I doubt that even Google will stick to RCS to the bitter end. They had significantly more power over XMPP, but they abandoned it anyway for some in-house propietary protocol. Who says history will not repeat itself?