Apple shocked the world late final 12 months, saying out of the blue (pun meant) that it’ll convey RCS help to the iPhone. Lastly, lastly, granting the want of Google, carriers, and a few diehard Android customers who nonetheless haven’t discovered easy methods to chat with their iPhone buddies.
The RCS rollout wouldn’t be quick, as Apple stated RCS help will probably be prepared in some unspecified time in the future this 12 months. It wouldn’t be Google’s model of RCS both, however the usual the GSMA permitted. Which means it wouldn’t help encryption at first.
I stated just lately the transfer was sufficient to defeat Google’s PR marketing campaign in opposition to iMessage. It additionally was a fantastic transfer in anticipation of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) deadlines in Europe and a looming antitrust investigation within the US.
Quick-forward to late March, and the DMA is in power in Europe. However iMessage isn’t a gatekeeper so Apple doesn’t must make the app work with third-party chat apps in Europe. Meta should make WhatsApp and Fb Messenger interoperable within the area.
Additionally, the Justice Division sued Apple, and the antitrust case covers Apple’s alleged use of iMessage to lock folks to the iPhone and its ecosystem.
Whereas Apple nonetheless hasn’t introduced when RCS help is coming to the iPhone, Google may need inadvertently jumped the gun. Google stated that Apple will roll out RCS help within the fall of 2024, which might point out the function will probably be a part of Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 replace.
Google has pulled the comment from its pages, however I believe it’s taking place. Apple must convey RCS help to the iPhone this 12 months and make a giant deal about it. It’s not simply concerning the DOJ’s antitrust case.
Google’s leak
It’s unclear why Google stated on its new RCS pages that RCS is “coming quickly on iOS.” Right here’s what Google truly wrote, by way of 9to5Google:
Apple has introduced it will likely be adopting RCS within the fall of 2024. As soon as that occurs, it should imply a greater messaging expertise for everybody.
It may very well be a real mistake or an intentional one meant to considerably revive Google’s push for RCS help on the iPhone. However Apple has already confirmed RCS help is coming to the iPhone this 12 months. There’s no motive to attempt to stress Apple, particularly at this level.
Regardless of the case, Google has eliminated the comment from its pages, however not earlier than the web noticed it.
Google didn’t present a timeframe for the arrival of RCS on the iPhone. That fall of 2024 timeframe signifies that it’ll be a part of the iOS 18 launch, nonetheless. Then once more, Apple may need to add RCS to older iOS variations, contemplating the stress from regulators and the DOJ’s antitrust case, of which iMessage is a part.
That’s as a result of not all of the iPhones that help iOS 17 will get the iOS 18 improve. Some older fashions is likely to be left behind, because it occurs virtually yearly with new OS updates. However the Messages app will nonetheless work on these, full with iMessage and SMS/MMS help. There’s no motive to not have RCS in there.
The DOJ case and China
As we realized just lately, laws in China associated to RCS help in cell gadgets is likely to be one of many large elements behind Apple’s resolution to help RCS on the iPhone. The Chinese language authorities began work on laws in that regard final 12 months.
Apple can’t afford any missteps in any of its largest markets. The European Union compelled Apple to convey USB-C to the iPhone quicker than it might have needed. China’s RCS regulation may need been the decisive consider adopting RCS this 12 months.
The arrival of the DMA laws and the opportunity of an antitrust case within the US might have been equally vital causes to undertake RCS.
Talking concerning the DOJ’s antitrust case, an Apple spokesperson addressed a number of the claims within the lawsuit, telling me why the corporate determined to help RCS at this cut-off date. The latest enhancements in RCS mixed with the broader consumer attain and the declining help for MMS from carriers are among the many causes Apple cited.
Apple additionally instructed me it’s working with Google to enhance RCS, by constructing end-to-end encryption and creating instruments to forestall spam. Once more, Apple is not going to simply undertake Google’s end-to-end encrypted model of RCS. And RCS does have a spam drawback in some markets that wants fixing there’s little doubt about it.
That additionally signifies that Google is conscious of a few of Apple’s RCS plans.
Folks neglect iMessage isn’t a typical
Apple didn’t present a launch timeframe for RCS, because the feedback primarily addressed the DOJ antitrust claims regarding iMessage.
As a reminder, the US authorities claims that iMessage offers the iPhone an unfair benefit over Android, reiterating a number of the factors we’ve stored listening to over time concerning the blue and inexperienced bubbles and the way Apple is retaining potential switchers away from Android with iMessage.
As I defined repeatedly, many individuals, together with US authorities officers, are lacking the purpose after they discuss iMessage. iMessage isn’t a typical of communication that’s owed to Android customers. It’s a proprietary device Apple invented, which iPhone customers pay for by shopping for iPhones.
Nevertheless, it’s not obligatory to make use of as there are many good alternate options within the App Retailer. I is likely to be an iPhone consumer, however I most likely use WhatsApp greater than iMessage to speak to household and buddies, a lot of whom are iPhone customers.
It shouldn’t be as much as Apple to encrypt communication between iPhone and Android, which is a criticism from the antitrust go well with. Not that Apple can encrypt SMS even when it needed to.
Additionally, it’s lower than Apple to enhance the messaging expertise on Android as a result of that’s not a platform it controls. And it might probably’t enhance the standard of SMS texting.
To not point out that the blue vs. inexperienced bubble problem isn’t an actual factor anyplace on the earth. You simply have to put in a third-party app like WhatsApp or Sign to get wealthy communication options protected by sturdy encryption.
WWDC is the place to make a giant deal about RCS
However contemplating all of the stress on Apple to justify itself, I believe it ought to make a giant deal about RCS adoption at WWDC 2024 when it inevitably proclaims upgrades for iMessage.
Apple instructed me it’s at present working to allow the RCS Common Profile which ought to enormously enhance messaging with non-iPhone customers. RCS on iPhone will help greater decision pictures and movies, extra dependable group messaging, location sharing, and audio messages.
The message right here is that Apple is already engaged on enhancing iPhone-to-Android messaging, which is among the antitrust issues of the govenrment.
It might very nicely display all these options throughout WWDC 2024 in June whereas additionally emphasizing that RCS, in its preliminary type, is not going to be encrypted.
This public embrace of RCS ought to definitely work in Apple’s favor. And it ought to assist Apple when coping with regulators, whether or not it’s the DOJ, the EU, or China. On that observe, RCS will probably roll out nicely earlier than the DOJ’s antitrust case is over.
With all that in thoughts, I believe RCS help has to return out this fall as a part of the primary iOS 18 push, similar to Google hinted by way of its unintentional reveal. Will it’s prepared for iOS 18 or iOS 18.1? Hopefully, WWDC will reply that.
