Samsung has released a new video in support of Google’s #GetTheMessage campaign which calls for Apple to adopt RCS or “Rich Communication Services,” the cross-platform protocol pitched as a successor to SMS that adopts many of the features found in modern messaging apps… like Apple’s own iMessage.

  • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Ok I’ll ask, how is iMessage fundamentally any different from texting (other than this RCS stuff)? You can still text. Or is it that weird color thing or checkmark that kids are social pressured into?

    • eletes@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      The color is one part, the other is that it breaks functions in iMessage. So the elitism doubles up

      • JargonWagon@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Liked “The color is one part, the other is that it breaks functions in iMessage. So the elitism doubles up”

        • PixxlMan@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Gave thumbs up to “Liked “The color is one part, the other is that it breaks functions in iMessage. So the elitism doubles up””

          • ngdev@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            This was the experience Android users had initially, then Android started parsing them and adding the reaction to the message. This is also when iMessage started getting that type of message instead of the reaction, as a sort of dig at iMessage

        • knexcar@kbin.social
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          1 year ago

          Images are a lot lower resolution (and no “live” photos which are cute if your mom takes a pic of their pet bunny), you can’t add people to group chats or rename them, you can’t see if someone’s read or typed your message, you can’t “like” texts without them appearing like the above post, I think there are even sound bites, little games but I haven’t played with them.

          • micka190@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Are “custom stickers” (or whatever they’re called) a thing on Android? My dad’s been having a blast taking a bunch of goofy pictures of himself and making stickers out of them. We get a good laugh out of them whenever he sends us a pic of himself leaning into the screen giving us the finger.

    • asteriskeverything@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Iphone users keep sending me long horribly compressed videos i can’t see at all because it’s not a problem between iPhones. And something about group chats?

      That’s all I know of based on my experience.

    • MooseBoys@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      iMessage is basically proprietary RCS. SMS doesn’t support images, for example. When you send an image via “sms” you’re really probably using “mms” behind the scenes, which has severe limits to quality. If you send an image with imessage, RCS, or any of a variety of custom messaging protocols, you can get the full-quality image.

      They also support gimmicks like “reacting” to messages which get overlaid in-line with a heart icon. On SMS it is sent as “MooseBoys loved ‘be right there’”.

      • russjr08@outpost.zeuslink.net
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        1 year ago

        They also support gimmicks like “reacting” to messages which get overlaid in-line with a heart icon. On SMS it is sent as “MooseBoys loved ‘be right there’”.

        Technically, yes SMS doesn’t support reactions. But you can do what Google does and just parse that text and “turn” it into a reaction for viewing purposes.

        If an iPhone user sends me a reaction it looks fine to me, but funnily enough now when I send one back it looks the exact way Apple sends it to non Apple devices.

      • stevehobbes@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        RCS is basically proprietary RCS.

        It is not open, it is controlled by the telcos, and google has been pushing their own proprietary version of RCS to the telcos.

        It’s no better than iMessage. This isn’t a problem in the rest of the world, they just all use WhatsApp.

        This is a legacy of the US being out in front of adoption of SMS, and it still being ingrained. It’s largely only a US problem. And it’s not even really a problem.

        I love iMessage, but I have WhatsApp and signal and like 19 other apps that offer messaging for people who prefer it.

        • MooseBoys@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          but I have WhatsApp and signal and like 19 other apps that offer messaging

          That’s the problem. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, but Americans seem to be quite averse to downloading a new app or signing up for a new service just to communicate with someone if I have their phone number. As a result, it needs to be supported by default on all phones as shipped. Today, the only thing that fits that is SMS.

          • stevehobbes@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            I guess. I’m American and interact with plenty of friends via discord, instagram and others. My friend group has a private discord and I use DMs instead of iMessage all the time.

    • HughJanus
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      1 year ago

      how is iMessage fundamentally any different from texting

      Not entirely sure what you’re asking but

      • iOS does not allow you to use any other messaging app for SMS. This is surely intentional to lock you into iMessage.

      • If you’re messaging iOS --> iOS your “text” messages (SMS) are automatically upgraded to the iMessage protocol, and there are a wide variety of features that are enabled without the user downloading any other apps or switching the protocol. It just happens.

      • ribboo@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You can turn off iMessage and you’ll be sending texts as regular SMS.

          • ribboo@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            No clue, just saying you’re “allowed” to use SMS if it’s important to you. But I might have misinterpreted you!

            • Cubes@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              Above commenter was saying that you’re not allowed to use any other app besides the default messages app to send SMS on an iPhone, so a third party can’t just come in with an SMS app that also implements RCS so everyone can be happy

      • darkentries@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You can send SMS on iPhone with the Google voice app. Yes it would be from a different phone number than your SIM, but it works.