The RCS war continues: Google asks Apple “to fix SMS”

Google does not miss an opportunity to tackle Apple and its reluctance to support the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol for iPhone users. The Android team has just launched a new website aptly named Get the Message, very subtly asking Cupertino to adopt the RCS for the Messages application. She also splits a dependent ticket on the subject.

As a reminder, the RCS makes it possible to improve certain SMS functionalities, such as support for read receipts or encryption. Unlike Google, Cupertino has indeed chosen to integrate these into iMessagewhich is not available outside of branded products.

In essence, the website intends to expose the obstacles between the two platforms, from a pro-Android angle. The situation finds a perfect illustration with the green/blue bubbles between iPhone and Android users, but the site intends to denounce the problems of cross-platform messaging – such as low quality photos and videos (admittedly..) – or group chat, end-to-end encryption, read receipts and keystroke indicators, pointing out that these problems could be solved if Apple adopted the RCS protocol. It’s time for Apple to fix SMS.

The iPhone would be responsible for many difficulties: reducing the quality of photos and videos of Android users, preventing exchanges with Android (in particular sending SMS to Androids via WiFi), making messages from Android users more hard to read etc. The site also offers a selection of dedicated press articles and encourages users to to complain help Apple to pass the course by sending him small tweets.