WWDC isn’t a quiet occasion, and as Apple’s product portfolio has grown so too have the variety of issues that must be coated throughout the keynote tackle. Apple can’t take a deep dive into all the things throughout these two hours, which suggests some stuff will get pushed to the sidelines. This yr a type of issues was RCS messaging, which received at most a single second of consideration.
Usually when Apple can’t go into higher element instantly, it’ll accomplish that in a while within the convention. Sadly that hasn’t occurred with RCS at WWDC 2024, and past that fast point out throughout the iOS 18 part of the keynote Apple has saved quiet about how implementing the usual goes to work. Regardless that that’s one of many few issues that Apple actually wants to elucidate in higher element.
Altering the best way we talk throughout platforms
As anybody with an iPhone will know, Apple loves to spotlight everytime you’re texting somebody who isn’t utilizing iMessage. The inexperienced bubble would possibly as nicely be a large klaxon saying the actual fact somebody doesn’t have an iPhone, and in some instances that may be an actual temper killer. Inexperienced bubbles imply that the Messages app is defaulting to SMS and MMS, which lack all of the smarter options obtainable in iMessage. Learn receipts, typing indicators, higher emojis, increased high quality picture sharing and so forth.
Apple says this inexperienced/blue bubble divide is a safety function. It’s a warning to iPhone customers that the dialog doesn’t have all the identical safety and conversational options you’d get in an iPhone to iPhone dialog. So customers must be cautious about what they ship, and to not anticipate something past fundamental textual content messaging.
Bringing RCS messaging to the iPhone is a big deal due to how it could basically modernize communication between Android and iOS units — with out the necessity for a 3rd social gathering messaging app like WhatsApp. No extra speaking with the 32-year-old SMS commonplace, which is about as safe and efficient as an empty window body.
No extra speaking with the 32-year-old SMS commonplace, which is about as safe and efficient as an empty window body.
Your group chats don’t essentially must be damaged simply because there’s an Android consumer or two within the combine. Your pictures will not endure neutron star-levels of compression earlier than they arrive, and all the things might be despatched over IP — that means you’ll be able to textual content over Wi-Fi and never common cell networks.
The issue is we have now completely no thought how the entire system goes to work in apply, and what kind of performance might be obtainable for iPhones messaging over RCS. WWDC was Apple’s principal alternative to reply these burning questions and clarify simply how this method was going to work. As a substitute it glossed over the information as if to attempt to keep away from any awkward questions RCS’s omission would create.
In actual fact we’ve gotten extra info out of Google about Apple’s RCS plans than we have now out of Apple itself.
What took so lengthy to carry RCS to iPhone?
Apple’s official line for not adopting RCS is that the usual didn’t meet its strict safety standards. The official RCS specification doesn’t function end-to-end encryption. Some RCS messaging providers, like Google Messages, are encrypted by default, however that isn’t required. So your run-of-the-mill RCS messaging providers would not routinely provide any additional safety.
Up to now Apple stated this lack of encryption went towards its core coverage of sustaining consumer privateness. Regardless that SMS was already in use and suffered the very same subject. That concept hasn’t gone wherever, and through its RCS announcement final yr Apple confirmed it could work with builders GSMA to carry encryption to the specification.
It’s lengthy been speculated that iMessage has been the important thing cause why Apple has saved cross-platform messaging trapped previously. As a result of iMessage is likely one of the Apple ecosystem’s crowning options, particularly in the US, and as a “gatekeeper service” it’s one of many causes folks preserve shopping for iPhone each time they improve. In actual fact it was revealed that Apple intentionally selected to not attempt to carry iMessage to Android for this very cause.
In equity to Apple, RCS was a large number for a really very long time. The foremost carriers within the U.S. refused to accomplice and develop a unified RCS profile for messaging, resulting in Google taking cost in mid-2019 and pledging to carry RCS to all Android customers. Carriers put apart their variations later that yr, however finally gave up on their unified competitor lower than 2 years later.
On prime of that Google Messages remains to be a semi-proprietary service. Whereas it’s based mostly on the RCS commonplace, there are a number of methods that Google developed in-house. Least of which is the end-to-end encryption. Adopting RCS means Apple has to play good with Google’s model of the usual, to verify cross-platform messaging methods are appropriate. In any other case it could be plenty of wasted time, effort and cash. Up to now Apple clearly didn’t wish to trouble with all that work, regardless of its willingness to accomplice with Google on different issues — like tackling AirTag stalking.
In fact we’re not speaking about hypothetical conditions anymore. RCS is coming to iPhone and it means the Apple Messages app goes to need to play good with Google Messages. It doesn’t need to be tremendous technical, only a fundamental rundown of what options will and received’t be obtainable. Sadly that also hasn’t occurred.
It appears like Apple is attempting to downplay RCS
Apple remained steadfast in its choice, regardless of calls from Google and others to repair cross-platform messaging. In late 2022 CEO Tim Cook dinner even advised a journalist to “purchase [his] mother an iPhone” after being questioned about the potential of higher cross-platform file sharing. Cook dinner additionally stated that he didn’t see customers asking the corporate to place the power into RCS adoption.
Sadly for Apple (and iMessage) it doesn’t seem to have had a lot alternative in whether or not it helps RCS or not. Whereas it’s true Apple efficiently argued that iMessage wasn’t a gatekeeper service within the EU, and subsequently didn’t have to go cross platform, it appears China wasn’t shopping for it.
China was reportedly engaged on a legislation that might pressure all 5G units to help RCS messaging in the event that they wish to go on sale within the nation. That will be an enormous drawback for Apple, because it’s the one overseas cellphone firm to have any significant sway within the Chinese language cellphone market — commanding 17.3% market share in 2023.
There are lots of people in China, and that represents plenty of iPhone gross sales, so shedding entry to that market could be a catastrophe for Apple’s funds. Nothing is official, however Apple has to play by the Chinese language authorities’s guidelines if it desires to remain in its good graces.
There’s a superb probability this additionally means not talking out concerning the legislation and complaining at each obtainable alternative — as Apple has achieved with the EU Digital Markets Act. If there’s one factor I do know concerning the CCP, it’s that public dissidence isn’t, if ever, tolerated.
However simply because Apple has been compelled into motion doesn’t imply it has to speak about it. And judging from WWDC it appears that is the route Apple is taking. A fast point out that RCS is coming, to kill off any preliminary questions, however completely no elaboration. Particularly not when it has mundane iMessage updates to speak about as an alternative.
Backside line
The scenario with cross-platform texting on cell has been a large number for thus lengthy that any information is sweet information. The truth that RCS messaging might be rolling out as a part of iOS 18 is certainly welcome. However that doesn’t change the truth that Apple had the chance to elucidate how RCS goes to work on the iPhone, and selected to not.
There’s lots to get by means of at WWDC, and Apple’s present focus is all on AI proper now. However that doesn’t change the truth that including RCS marks an enormous change for a way iPhones and non-iPhones talk and we all know subsequent to nothing about what it can entail. Heck, we don’t even know if it will likely be obtainable when iOS 18 formally launches in September, or if it will likely be coming as a part of a future replace.
Then once more, Apple has by no means been a very forthcoming firm. As all the time, we’ll discover out once we discover out and there’s nothing to cease the copious hypothesis within the interim months.
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