In a stunning move, Apple has revealed today that it will assume the RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging standard. The component will launch via a software update “later next year” and convey a wide range of iMessage-style components to messaging between iPhone and Android users.
Apple’s decision arrives amid pressure from controllers and competitors like Google and Samsung. It also arrives as RCS has continued to grow and become a more adult platform than it once was.
RCS brings iMessage-style features to cross-platform texts
An Apple spokesperson said that the business accepts RCS will deliver better interoperability for cross-platform notifications.
RCS brings many iMessage-style elements to cross-platform messaging between iPhone and Android devices. This contains things like read receipts, typing needles, high-quality pictures and videos, and more.
Apple’s performance of RCS will also give users the ability to communicate their location with other people inside text lines, the organisation says. Unlike regular SMS, RCS can operate over mobile data or Wi-Fi as well.
But at the same time, iMessage isn’t moving anywhere. It will resume to be the messaging medium used for all communication between iPhone users. RCS will just supplant SMS and MMS and exist individually from iMessage when functional. SMS and MMS will also resume to be known as a fallback when needed, Apple says.
This is not Apple extending up iMessage to other platforms. Instead, it’s the business adopting RCS individually from iMessage.
Apple also repeats that iMessage is far more confident and privacy-friendly than RCS. iMessage is end-to-end encrypted, and Apple just brought that up a crack with Advanced Data Protection for Messages in iCloud. Meanwhile, Apple declares that RCS does not presently support encryption that is as powerful as iMessage.
Finally, Apple states it will perform with the GSMA partners on ways to further enhance the RCS protocol. This significantly includes enhancing the security and encryption of RCS messages. Apple will not use any kind of proprietary end-to-end encryption on canopy of RCS. Its focus is on enhancing the RCS measure itself.
For comparison’s sake, Google’s performance of end-to-end encryption is characteristic of the Messages app on Android rather than the RCS spec itself.
As a portion of today’s information, Apple reiterates its aid for other open criteria. The corporation, for instance, has worked closely with the likes of Amazon and Google on the Matter smart home measure. It’s also worked jointly with the FIDO Alliance, including Microsoft and Google, on extending support for Passkeys. Apple also recreated an essential role in creating the Qi2 wireless charging measure, which is built on top of MagSafe.