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Pressure grows on Apple to open up iMessage (finance.yahoo.com)
submitted 2 years ago by [M, B] to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Pressure grows on Apple to open up iMessage::Samsung has joined Google’s campaign to force Apple to make iMessage RCS-compatible—but European regulators are more likely to get that job done.

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[–] 140 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (5 children)

This is weirdly only a thing in America. In Europe, where I live, iMessage isn’t that popular and iPhone users never seem to care about the bubble colour (likely because WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Element, and Threema are so popular, everyone is used to using multiple chat apps anyway).

Edit: Also I’m not sure why everyone is championing RCS - it’s yet another proprietary communication standard like iMessage and isn’t open thus can’t be easily implemented in other chat apps.

Rather then pressure Apple to support and further popularise another closed protocol, we should be pushing for something open like Matrix or Signal.

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  • [–] 20 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    : Also I’m not sure why everyone is championing RCS - it’s yet another proprietary communication standard like iMessage and isn’t open thus can’t be easily implemented in other chat apps.

    RCS is an implementation of GSMA Universal Profile and is interoperable with it

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I don’t see any public license for GSMA Universal Profile and it seems you have to engage directly with GSMA to get any detail on the standard. Very much the opposite of things like Signal which not only are the standards public but so are the reference implementations.

    I still don’t see an argument for why yet another proprietary standard and protocol is a good thing.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    well RCS is to be the successor to SMS, which I believe was also introduced by GSMA

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  • [–] 17 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    What you are using on Android isn’t RCS, it’s RCS+Google’s proprietary extension. There is no encryption in the spec, and the original implementation that went through carriers is ignored and it goes through Google. It’s essentially Google’s iMessage and they are trying to find their way into breaking Apple’s market share under false pretense.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I’ve just been reading the RCS Universal Profile Service Definition Document and it does stipulate encryption should be used but is hardly defined how encryption should be implemented nor does it set an interoperable standard for it. I like RCS even less now.

    “Methods for encryption, client verification, user authentication and access authorisation are applied by the client and the network on a per interface and protocol basis.”

    So basically RCS is happy for there to be interoperability with regards to encryption, almost forcing interoperable implementations to forgo encryption so that different implementations can communicate.

    Signal protocol is far far far better a standard than this lazy “service definition”.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Yea, the standard is great for a decade+ ago when it came out, but I’d never trust it as is over other things like Signal or even iMessage. Google’s RCS implementation is as trustworthy as anything else Google makes. They don’t even support it across all their products last I heard. It’s a joke.

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  • [–] 0 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I know, but isn't the point that Google Messages is interoperable with other implementations such as T-Mobile's or Verizon's?

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    That may be the point, but it’s not working out that way. The spec is older than iMessage. It failed. Google just took it and made their own implementation. I’m not sure if Google’s RCS works with Verizon’s for example, I’m sure basic things do. AFAIK third party developers can’t implement it in their apps, so you have to have an Android phone to use it. Someone correct me if I’m wrong. The entire thing relies on Google to keep it running.

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago

    RCS is still IP based so why SMS should be replaced with RCS over Signal still isn’t clear. RCS and Signal are both IP based protocols yet one is proprietary and the other is libre. If we’re getting rid of SMS, we should be replacing it with something anyone can implement without any concerns for licensing or the standard being controlled by a single entity (which Google seems to be positioning themselves to be).

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago

    It is controlled and monetizable by the telcos. It isn’t better. And it’s barely standardized. Google sells a service to telcos to implement RCS that doesn’t really work well with anyone else’s RCS, or didn’t.

    Go look at the amount of threads with people saying “my RCS message from my Samsung didn’t get to my friend on T-Mobile with a pixel”.

    This is not the future anyone deserves.

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  • [–] 12 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I have never heard of anyone in the U.S. who cares about the bubble color either. The only reason I ever cared was that it used to mean there was a good chance it wouldn't get through if it was a green bubble, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore. I've gotten iPhone-to-iPhone green bubbles when there's been some sort of communication difficulty to Apple's servers and it had to go straight SMS.

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  • [–] 23 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    Are you dating or in school at the moment? I if not, it might be that you’re just oblivious to this trend, because it is definitely a thing in many social circles.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Seeems mostly a US centric thing though. I've never experienced this, 99% of people here with smartphones have whatsapp/telegram and use that almost exclusively, even iphone users.

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  • [+] -6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Maybe for people much younger than me. But certainly I've never heard of such a thing in the many years I've had iPhones (started with the 3).

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    It’s not simply an age thing. I’m in my 40s and have definitely witnessed the judgment in the dating scene.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Ok, fair, I've been married for over two decades. I don't get why anyone would care though.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    It’s not that difficult to understand. An iPhone is a symbol of affluence, and that aspect is important to many people who are looking for a mate.

    Edited to add: And as dating has shifted to being mostly online, the first real connection you have with a potential mate outside of the apps is via text.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I have to say that in Denmark at least, iMessage seems to thrive quite well. There are quite a lot using Facebook messenger, but SMS and iMessage is a close second. This is entirely from my point of view. Never met anyone using the examples you mention, unless they are communicating with foreigners on a daily basis.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Also I’m not sure why everyone is championing RCS - it’s yet another proprietary communication standard like iMessage and isn’t open thus can’t be easily implemented in other chat apps.

    My guy, this entire article is about Google and Samsung trying to convince Apple to adopt RCS.

    Is a completely open standard better? Yeah, absolutely.

    Would RCS basically create unified rich communication for virtually everyone? Also yes.

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