Tim Cook reveals the real reason why Apple didn’t add RCS to the iPhone

Last night, Tim Cook dropped the possibility of solving the green bubble problem — revealing the real reason Apple didn’t: It doesn’t sell iPhones.

At the Vox Media’s Code conference, an attendee told Cook that it was difficult for him to send videos to his mother because Apple devices don’t support RCS, the text-messaging protocol supported by Google and supported by major phone companies. On the other hand, Cook suggested to attend Buying an iPhone for his mom. “I don’t hear our users asking that we put a lot of energy into it at this point,” Cook said.

This appears to be the first time that Cook has spoken publicly about RCS, the Rich Communications Services protocol. RCS is a huge improvement over SMS and MMS, allowing you to do things like sending high-quality photos and videos, and it will fix many of the issues you encounter when texting between Apple and Android devices. But Apple has so far refrained from offering support, and the distinction between blue iMessage bubbles and green bubbles in regular text messages has remained a thorn in Google’s side.

Apple has deliberately chosen to make the superior iMessage texting experience an Apple-only thing — and Cook’s comments on Wednesday speak to that choice. For years, it’s been a key part of Apple’s strategy to lock users out of its platforms. Emails detected as part of Epic Games vs Apple Show top executives like Craig Federighi (in 2013) and Phil Schiller (2016) Proving that bringing iMessage to Android won’t help Apple. Eddie Q Testified in deposit That Apple could have created an Android version of iMessage that was compatible with iOS, but it has clearly not been released publicly.

By making iMessage an Apple-only product – and continuing to improve it with Features such as the ability to edit and unsend messages Apple can prove that the best way to message your friends is on your Apple device using the Apple Messaging app. While the company could theoretically adopt a remote control system And the Keep iMessage on Apple devices, it benefits by creating as much separation as possible between text messages across Apple and Android. This means that more people will buy more iPhones.

Google has been campaigning seriously in recent months for Apple to adopt RCS. Google rolled it out in Android, of course, and it’s now also supported by AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon (after a very slow rollout). Given that all three have committed To make the Google Messaging app for Android the default texting for the Android phones they sell, people are more likely to just text through RCS without even thinking about it.

Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president of Google, took the accusation, joking that There is a “really obvious solution” For messages of struggles and saying that Apple “blocks” customers who send text messages. The company also recently launched a website, “Message received,” to try Shame on Apple for accrediting RCS.

Lockheimer understands Apple’s resistance to RCS, “but people should be able to send high-quality videos and photos to their mom without having to buy her a new phone,” He said. Cook seems to be different.