As an European, I always find it funny how iMessage seems to be so prevalent in the US that the “bubble colors” issue is even a thing. Here, almost everyone uses WhatsApp. Better for communication across different device types, probably worse for privacy. But at least no artificial discrimination because apple hates open standards ¯\(ツ)/¯
Yeah it’s weird. I mean I use Google Message (RCS) and it has visual differences for conversations that are using RCS vs ones using SMS but I honestly don’t care about the color. I care more about using a modern cross platform standard than falling back to ancient SMS because Apple wants to use a proprietary locked down system at the expense of their user’s experience. WhatsApp might not be bad but no one I know really uses it so I would have to start convincing people to switch. That’s more than a uphill battle. It’s completely futile. The only thing that will change the tide is Apple either opening up iMessage or Apple incorporating RCS into iMessage. I don’t see either happening anytime soon because they simply don’t care about interoperability.
Not an unfair complaint against Apple, but ignores Google’s/Android’s problematic “support” for RCS, and in this context of this comment seems to imply that What’sApp isn’t “closed” like iMessage.
Yeah, that’s true. Pretty much every messenger has that issue, Signal, Telegram, etc. Ideally there would be an open standard like email, SMS and you could choose your preferred app and have cross messaging and group chats.
RIM made a similar play when they kept BBM closed to their phones and it backfired but Apple seem to have the opposite effect from keeping it all in house.
I’m certainly not trying to be an Apple apologist here, as iMessage has plenty to critique. But it bears consideration that iMessage falling back to SMS is a certain amount of openness, is it not?
Yeah, they are both essentially doing the same thing (iMessage and RCS using Google messages app), default to proprietary message, SMS back up.
Maybe the telecoms industry needs to get involved with moving on the standard. Although, when the created MMS it was (and still is) priced out of being useable.
Back when WhatsApp charged an annual fee you could get a 1 year subscription for about the same cost as 1 MMS picture message
Yeah, they are both essentially doing the same thing (iMessage and RCS using Google messages app), default to proprietary message, SMS back up.
Maybe the telecoms industry needs to get involved with moving on the standard. Although, when the created MMS it was (and still is) priced out of being useable.
Back when WhatsApp charged an annual fee you could get a 1 year subscription for about the same cost as 1 MMS picture message
A lot of reading there, I’ll be honest, I cherry picked a few bits.
It is for the most part not the best but I still use it for sending uncompressed images. If you use the Google messages SMS app it does offer a bit more. I still think they should get a bit of Kudos for trying but at the same time. The iterative death, rebrand and rebirth of Google messaging platforms has been terrible. Allo was the worst in my opinion.
As an European, I always find it funny how iMessage seems to be so prevalent in the US that the “bubble colors” issue is even a thing. Here, almost everyone uses WhatsApp. Better for communication across different device types, probably worse for privacy. But at least no artificial discrimination because apple hates open standards ¯\(ツ)/¯
Yeah it’s weird. I mean I use Google Message (RCS) and it has visual differences for conversations that are using RCS vs ones using SMS but I honestly don’t care about the color. I care more about using a modern cross platform standard than falling back to ancient SMS because Apple wants to use a proprietary locked down system at the expense of their user’s experience. WhatsApp might not be bad but no one I know really uses it so I would have to start convincing people to switch. That’s more than a uphill battle. It’s completely futile. The only thing that will change the tide is Apple either opening up iMessage or Apple incorporating RCS into iMessage. I don’t see either happening anytime soon because they simply don’t care about interoperability.
What about WhatsApp is open?
I think they are maybe referring to Apple’s reluctance to integrate with RCS.
Not an unfair complaint against Apple, but ignores Google’s/Android’s problematic “support” for RCS, and in this context of this comment seems to imply that What’sApp isn’t “closed” like iMessage.
Yeah, that’s true. Pretty much every messenger has that issue, Signal, Telegram, etc. Ideally there would be an open standard like email, SMS and you could choose your preferred app and have cross messaging and group chats.
RIM made a similar play when they kept BBM closed to their phones and it backfired but Apple seem to have the opposite effect from keeping it all in house.
I’m certainly not trying to be an Apple apologist here, as iMessage has plenty to critique. But it bears consideration that iMessage falling back to SMS is a certain amount of openness, is it not?
Yeah, they are both essentially doing the same thing (iMessage and RCS using Google messages app), default to proprietary message, SMS back up.
Maybe the telecoms industry needs to get involved with moving on the standard. Although, when the created MMS it was (and still is) priced out of being useable.
Back when WhatsApp charged an annual fee you could get a 1 year subscription for about the same cost as 1 MMS picture message
Yeah, they are both essentially doing the same thing (iMessage and RCS using Google messages app), default to proprietary message, SMS back up.
Maybe the telecoms industry needs to get involved with moving on the standard. Although, when the created MMS it was (and still is) priced out of being useable.
Back when WhatsApp charged an annual fee you could get a 1 year subscription for about the same cost as 1 MMS picture message
Just thought I’d come back to share this if you haven’t already seen it. They’re at it again!
https://lemmy.world/post/976234
I mean, RCS is garbage, And googles messaging woes are entirely of their own design, see: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/08/a-decade-and-a-half-of-instability-the-history-of-google-messaging-apps/
A lot of reading there, I’ll be honest, I cherry picked a few bits.
It is for the most part not the best but I still use it for sending uncompressed images. If you use the Google messages SMS app it does offer a bit more. I still think they should get a bit of Kudos for trying but at the same time. The iterative death, rebrand and rebirth of Google messaging platforms has been terrible. Allo was the worst in my opinion.