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Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

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Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#51

Post by indemnity »

dmitrygr wrote: post #2

RCS solves NONE of the problems that need solving, and only gives carriers another thing to charge for. Specifically: * the spec is very very complex, and most parts are optional, so no two phones/carriers/manufacturers/OS versions will ever agree on anything but the basic minimal set of features. * there is no specification for end-to-end encryption, and even if there were, it would be optional (as noted above) * RC…

iMessage actually works with any email address.

I’ve found it more reliable to use an email address for sender and recipient, then it avoids the limbo of trying to send, SMS fallback, etc.

Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#52

Post by ehsankia »

dmitrygr wrote: post #2

RCS solves NONE of the problems that need solving, and only gives carriers another thing to charge for. Specifically: * the spec is very very complex, and most parts are optional, so no two phones/carriers/manufacturers/OS versions will ever agree on anything but the basic minimal set of features. * there is no specification for end-to-end encryption, and even if there were, it would be optional (as noted above) * RC…

> RCS is reliant on carriers

Isn't that exactly what this article claims is changing? Google leading the main implementation also means most others will have to follow, and they very well could have an E2E mode similar to Allo's incognito mode. Not as good as always on, but still. Having it free through Google also makes it harder for ISP's to charge for it.

Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#53

Post by ehsankia »

joshstrange wrote: post #9

The only SMS's I get nowadays are from automated systems (bill pay reminders, shipping, energy usage, etc). I don't talk to a single friend over SMS anymore. It's either iMessage or FB messenger (for Android people). Both of those provide a MUCH better experience and even if Apple ever supports RCS (I kind of hope they don't and it dies off) I won't use it without encryption. RCS is such a clusterfuck and I the carri…

That's a little bit of recursive thinking though. No one uses SMS because SMS is bad, not because it's SMS. People used to use SMS all the time, before it fell behind.

Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#54

Post by dimator »

Barrin92 wrote: post #14
Vrondi wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why would we want to move from SMS to a situation where Facebook ALSO has a copy of every message we send? Not an improvement.

facebook doesn't store your (sent) whatsapp messages, and in contrast to sms they're by default encrypted. "Your Messages. We do not retain your messages in the ordinary course of providing our Services to you. Once your messages (including your chats, photos, videos, voice messages, files, and share location information) are delivered, they are deleted from our servers. Your messages are stored on your own device. I…

Except it's a matter of record that Zuckerberg is intent on undoing e2ee in whatsapp, and increasing ads[1]. you can't inject ads unless you're scanning the texts.

[1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/whatsapp-fou...

Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#55

Post by dmitrygr »

earenndil wrote: post #48
dbbk wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

* Phone number-as-identity is so stupid, even apple admitted it iMessage automatically working with phone numbers was the main reason it catapulted to such high usage so quickly. People didn't have to change their workflow, they just got brought into it automatically.

There is a mapping from phone number to identity, but the phone number isn't itself the identity.

For rcs it is

Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#56

Post by Kiro »

themacguffinman wrote: post #13
iwasakabukiman wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> At this point everyone is too burned by Google releasing new messaging apps and then sunsetting them year later. What if they just released an upgrade to their existing Messages app and enrolled everyone by default in a new Google version of iMessage? That's basically what Apple did. Upgrade to iOS 5 and you're automatically enrolled in iMessage without any extra steps. Suddenly your messaging experience just got a…

The EU would take them to court before the rollout was finished.

How is it different from iMessage?

Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#57

Post by vl »

dmitrygr wrote: post #2

RCS solves NONE of the problems that need solving, and only gives carriers another thing to charge for. Specifically: * the spec is very very complex, and most parts are optional, so no two phones/carriers/manufacturers/OS versions will ever agree on anything but the basic minimal set of features. * there is no specification for end-to-end encryption, and even if there were, it would be optional (as noted above) * RC…

There is historic reason for this : all carriers and phone makers see messaging experience as critical and want to control it themselves. Google didn't have enough pull to make messaging mandatory part of default google apps bundle.

Then iMessage and WhatsApp happened and Google desperately tries to rectify the situation. See Hangouts SMS integration.

Latest two-prong attempt is Allo and RCS. Allo failed. The reason RCS kinda works out is that carriers can't combat iMessage alone anymore. RCS was conceived as asymmetrical response to iMessage which aligns both Google's and carriers' interests. Many carries don't even try to implement it and rely on Google's default client implementation and route through default google servers.

Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#58

Post by tallanvor »

kilroy123 wrote: post #4

The whole world has already moved beyond texting. It's called WhatsApp. I'm from the US but I've lived abroad the last four years. I'm still surprised so many people "back home" continue to use SMS texting. Everyone I know around the world uses WhatsApp. Literally, in every single continent I know and chat with people on WhatsApp. Only Americans still use SMS from what I've seen. I just don't get it.

I'm not in the US, and I stopped using WhatsApp for several reasons. It doesn't provide me any benefits over SMS (people still need to know your phone number, for example, and if they change phone numbers, there's the whole game of figuring out who is messaging you). Not that many people I communicate with regularly really cared if we used it or another communications method either. It is one more app draining my phone's battery. And I want to limit the apps that Facebook can use to gain information about me.

Re: Google Is Taking Charge of the RCS Rollout

#59

Post by vitorgrs »

iwasakabukiman wrote: post #3
dmitrygr wrote: post #2

RCS solves NONE of the problems that need solving, and only gives carriers another thing to charge for. Specifically: * the spec is very very complex, and most parts are optional, so no two phones/carriers/manufacturers/OS versions will ever agree on anything but the basic minimal set of features. * there is no specification for end-to-end encryption, and even if there were, it would be optional (as noted above) * RC…

> At this point everyone is too burned by Google releasing new messaging apps and then sunsetting them year later. What if they just released an upgrade to their existing Messages app and enrolled everyone by default in a new Google version of iMessage? That's basically what Apple did. Upgrade to iOS 5 and you're automatically enrolled in iMessage without any extra steps. Suddenly your messaging experience just got a…

That's exactly what they did with Google Allo...
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