Apple announces RCS support for iPhones next year

Soft water hitting hard rocks hard… well, you know the rest. But with millions moving from one side to the other, this is a new thing that has “water in its mouth”… or not. But the truth is that Apple has announced its intentions to bring support for RCS to the iPhone next year. So what does this mean?

RCS hits too much to stick?
In a surprise move, Apple announced today that it will adopt the RCS (Rich Communications Services) messaging standard.  The feature will be released via a software update "late next year" and will provide a wide range of iMessage-style features for messaging between iPhone and Android users.
Apple's decision comes amid pressure from regulators and competitors such as Google and Samsung.  It also comes as RCS continues to evolve and become a more mature platform than it once was.


But, at the end of the day, what is a Rich Communications Service (RCS)??
RCS (Rich Communications Service) is a new communication protocol that works in the same way as SMS.  Utilizing the infrastructure of telecom operators.  It's basically an instant messaging service, unified and updated.
The advantage of this new technology is that it provides the same features as the most popular messaging applications:

Send messages containing more than 160 characters;
Support audio and video messages.
Send files, photos and stickers.
Support for creating chat groups.
Possibility of using Wi-Fi;
Possibility of seeing another user writing, etc.



RCS provides iMessage-like capabilities for cross-platform text
According to an Apple spokesperson, the company believes RCS will provide better interoperability for cross-platform messaging.



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Late next year, we will add support for Global RCS Profile, the standard currently published by the GSM Association.  We believe that RCS Universal Profile will provide a better interoperability experience compared to SMS or MMS.  This will work alongside iMessage, which will continue to be the best and most secure messaging experience for Apple users.
RCS brings many iMessage-style features to the cross-platform messaging service between iPhone and Android devices.  This includes things like read receipts, writing indicators, high-quality photos and videos, and more.

Apple's implementation of RCS will also give users the ability to share their locations with others within text message threads, the company says.  Unlike regular SMS, RCS can work over mobile data or Wi-Fi.

Will this be the end of iMessage (the messaging app)?
No, of course not.  Apple users know that in the absence of iMessage connectivity, the messaging app uses traditional SMS and MMS to communicate with those who do not have iMessage activated, or simply do not have it at all (as is the case with Android users).  As such, iMessage is not going away, and will remain the messaging platform used for all communications between iPhone users.
RCS will simply replace SMS and MMS and will exist separately from iMessage when it becomes available.  SMS and MMS will also remain available as an alternative when necessary, according to Apple.