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While we tend to think of text messaging and SMS as synonymous, that’s not quite the case. SMS (short messaging service) is just the original technique Standard for SMS. In recent years, there has been a trend to move to RCS (Rich Communications Services, or Rich Communications Suite), a more sophisticated text messaging standard.
Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, mainly because of the rivalry between Apple and Google, and that’s something Google wants to change …
Let’s start with a small background.
SMS
Text messaging was first introduced in the era of multifunction phones. It used a standard known as SMS, which was a very basic standard suited to the limited capabilities of phones at the time. It was limited to 160 characters, and only alphanumeric characters. Closest to emojis were “emoticons”: using ordinary punctuation characters to create things like smiles 🙂 and frowns :-(.
Because SMS is a key communication standard, every phone can use it today, whether it’s an iPhone or an Android phone.
On iPhone, you know when a message uses SMS because it will be a green bubble rather than the blue bubble in iMessages, which uses a much more sophisticated Apple-specific messaging system.
RCS
With the advent of smartphones, there was a need for a more advanced form of text messaging. The GSM Association – the standards body for mobile phones – developed the RCS.
The plan was for all smartphone operators and manufacturers to adopt RCS. The old SMS standard could then be withdrawn.
Google was a fan of RCS, so it was adopted by all Android phones as it was a way to activate iMessage-like features. Apple has so far not added support for RCS, so the so-called universal standard is currently only Android. That’s why we still need the older SMS standard to enable communication between iPhones and Android phones.
Switch to RCS with our help, says Google
Google Senior Vice President Hiroshi Lockheimer has decided to tease Apple.
The reference to breaking group chats when there is an Android user in an otherwise iPhone-only group message related to this:
Lockheimer’s tweet is obviously ironic: Apple wouldn’t need any help adopting RCS; it’s just that the company doesn’t want to do it.
A popular theory is that in some social circles it can be seen as embarrassing to be “the green bubble person” in a group chat, and Apple sees this as a selling point for iPhones.
Personally, I hope the Snobbish Bubbles and Apple will come out of this and Apple will embrace RCS alongside iMessage. Unfortunately, however, this tweet is unlikely to help the cause.
Photo: Alexander Chatov / Unsplash
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