Look, Apple isn't really a fan of sharing its tech, especially when it can help its pricey devices and services stand out from the poor, poor Androids. iMessage is the best example. Just imagine, how frikkin petty you gotta be, in order to color-code text messages sent from an Android phone with green, while iPhone-to-iPhone messages appears in a blue bubble.

The blue/green bubble is so deep that the if you push green in an iMessage chat, you won't get a date. An NBA coach made a player run laps as punishment for bringings an Android to the team chat. Teens legit hate the green bubble in the US. This Apple image will tell you the brand's exact mentality:

iMessage color-coding on an iPhone
Credit: Apple

But color shaming is only half the picture. When two iPhones are engaged in a chat, you get all the cool features like read receipts, typing indicators, sharing high-resolution content, sending location, and more. You know, the typical messaging shizz you see on WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram.

But Lord have mercy, as soon as an Android-haver texts an iPhone princess, Apple instantly reverts to the ancient SMS / MMS protocol. That means no fancy modern features. And if you try to send media files, they will look as if some redneck shot in the 1960s while choking the lizard with the other hand.

Google embraced a solution to lift us out of the SMS / MMS hell. That magic potion is RCS (rich communication system). In a nutshell, it brings all those snazzy WhatsApp, Telegram, and iMessage features to the good 'ol messaging app on Android phones. Go ahead, try the Google Messages app that is probably already on your Android phone and you'll see that it's actually quite neat.

Google has been trying to shame Apple publicly with nasty tweets, big-ass billboards, and snarky videos so that Apple can also adopt the RCS standard. #GetTheMessage. Apple didn't do anything. Finally, as an EU deadline for opening the locked gates came closer, Apple dropped the bombshell.

The trillion-dollar baby is adopting RCS!
Fight between iPhone and Androids.
Credit: Athenil / DALL-E 2

Fuck yeah, says Google!

Here's what Apple said in a statement:

"Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association,” Apple said in a statement. “We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS.”

So, here's what's gonna happen. At some point in 2024, when an Android phone user texts an iPhone snob, both parties will enjoy features like high-quality photo / video sharing, read receipts, typing indicator, double-tap emoji reaction, texting over mobile internet (or Wi-Fi), and more. It's unclear if the messages will be end-to-end encrypted for privacy, but indications are they eventually will.

Will Apple end the blue-green bubble situation. Honestly, I don't know. But my gut says it won't. The blue bubble is a sign of prestige for iPhone flashers. And a submissive capitalist shame for the Android anarchists. It will stay. But hey, at least Google seems happy on behalf of the Android-ers across the world:

Did you like what you just read? Share it!