Old-fashioned SMS messages are going down in history after even Apple became a supporter of the new standard.
Apple brings RCS messages to the iPhone. Erno Vähämäki
Apple has finally relented. The technology giant has announced to the public that during 2024, it will introduce the communication standard RCS (rich communication services), familiar from the Android world.
In practice, RCS messages enable an even more versatile messaging experience. Several international media reported on the topic, such as for example The Verge.
With the help of the standard, the features familiar from instant messaging services arrive in the standard messaging experience. RCS messaging enables, for example, read receipts, write notifications and, above all, encryption of messages.
In addition, it is possible to send high-quality images and videos via RCS messages.
RCS messages have been hoped for as a replacement for traditional SMS messages for a long time, but before this Apple has been reluctant to adopt the standard. Instead, the company has invested in its own Imessage messaging, although it only works within the iOS ecosystem.
The transition to the RCS era enables even richer messaging, primarily with Android phones. According to Apple, Imessage will remain alongside RCS messages. Messages are visually separated from each other by blue and green message bubbles.
Before this Samsung and Google have visibly criticized Apple for its tight-lipped approach to the new standard. However, the background of the reversed sled may well be rather the digital market regulation of the European Union, where large “gatekeepers” are required to open their services to competitors.