In a serious reversal, Apple Inc. plans to undertake a technological customary subsequent 12 months that may enable textual content messaging to function extra easily between iPhones and Android units.
The firm had pushed again on the usual — generally known as RCS — for greater than a 12 months, whilst Alphabet Inc.’s Google and others pressed Apple to undertake the know-how. RCS, brief for wealthy communication companies, is an improve over customary SMS and MMS texting that’s backed by the GSM Association.
The know-how permits extra texting options to be shared over telephones on totally different platforms. For occasion, Apple customers will be capable of textual content Android customers over Wi-Fi and never simply by way of mobile networks. They’ll additionally be capable of ship bigger video and picture recordsdata, extra simply function group chats, and decide if messages are obtained and skim. It encrypts messages as effectively.
Apple has been protecting of its iMessage system, which preserves a lot of these options for customers of its units — the iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad.
“Later next year, we will be adding support for RCS Universal Profile, the standard as currently published by the GSM Association,” Apple mentioned in an announcement. “We believe RCS Universal Profile will offer a better interoperability experience when compared to SMS or MMS.”
Apple added that “this will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.” Last 12 months, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook pushed again on RCS at a convention, suggesting that individuals who need higher texting with relations purchase them an iPhone.
Today, iPhone customers know they’re texting one other Apple buyer as a result of the chat bubbles are blue, whereas Android contacts are relegated to the older inexperienced model. It’s unclear if this format will change when Apple adopts RCS. The firm may very well be planning to make it a part of subsequent 12 months’s iOS 18 launch.
The shift comes as Apple faces extra scrutiny from regulators. The Cupertino, California-based firm is making ready to overtake its iPhone and iPad software program within the European Union to fulfill necessities from the area’s Digital Markets Act.
The announcement additionally comes the identical week that Nothing, a small telephone model with a cult following, mentioned it was engaged on a strategy to allow iMessage on Android.
Source web site: www.hindustantimes.com
