Google is once again complaining about RCS in iMessage: “it’s playing a dirty game”

Google has launched a new campaign to put pressure on Apple. The goal is to finally get Tim Cook’s company to offer RCS support. Only the company is anything but honest about the motives behind the campaign. “Dirty”, says OMT Editor-in-Chief Mark Hofman. He will update you in this article.

“Children who ask are skipped,” my mother used to say. It’s crystal clear that she didn’t raise Google. The American company has been nagging for a long time about the arrival of RCS support in iMessage. Something it wants very, very, very much. The reason? It cannot win the battle against Apple.

RCS in iMessage: the battle between blue and green

RCS: Rich Communication Services. It is a modern standard for textual communication that can currently only be used by Android smartphones. Why? Because Apple refuses to support the standard in iMessage. A decision where the entire blue bubbles vs green bubbles discussion revolves around.

It is a reference to iMessage itself. As soon as you as an iPhone owner receive a message from an iOS user, the speech bubble will be blue. This means that you use iMessage and get access to all useful functionalities, and especially security, that comes with it. If you receive a message from someone with an Android device, the balloon will be green. Something that Google has a big problem with.

A green speech bubble means that you have received an SMS or MMS. Sending quality photos and videos is impossible, emoji reactions are unusable and there is no end-to-end encryption. Google calls it an outdated technology from the 90s and 00s. Something where, in my opinion, the company has a point. Anyway, that is also the reason that consumers with an iPhone no longer need to use it.

The real reason why Google wants it

What Google, in its own words, wants is a standard that all users in the world can connect to each other. Initially a noble request that I can only support. If it isn’t the case that Google is actually playing a dirty game and omitting its real motivations.

Where the battle with Apple in Europe is fairly even, Google has a real problem in America. The iPhone is certainly much more popular among young people. More than 88% of them own an iPhone and use iMessage as a means of communication. A strong position, which means that the sales of Android smartphones will not increase any time soon.

While Google makes it seem like it’s good-hearted and wants to connect everyone to RCS, it just wants to sell more smartphones. Once the exclusive benefits of Apple’s proprietary platform disappear, the barrier for many consumers to switch will be lower. Apple is clearly not interested in that. And blame them.

If you want to use iMessage, buy an iPhone. That’s how the consumer market has always worked and should always work. Have you bought a Samsung TV, but you still like the LG remote control? Then you buy an LG and don’t complain that there is no universal remote control. Consumers have a choice, you as a company must ensure that you make that choice as attractive as possible.