This is very exciting for the 8 people still using SMS I suppose.
Literally everyone I know uses SMS. Some of those people also use other messaging apps, but they use SMS as well.
Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
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Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#62Earlier quoted context omitted.
Exactly my experience. I finally bit the bullet and switched to the Apple side. There are things I miss from android but I trust Apple not to self sabotage much more than I trust Google these days. Which is weird, and exactly the opposite of the feeling I had 5 years ago.
I'm in this situation right now - was just debating buying an iPhone yesterday after never owning anything from Apple. How do you like it so far?
Not the parent, but I recently switched to an iPhone and I'm liking it.
On Android, I was constantly using new Apps, looking at /r/android for release announcements, and getting excited about all the new releases. Then, at some point, I realized I just wanted a phone that works. That's when I switched to Apple. That's not to say my Pixel didn't do everything my iPhone does. It could do it all and in many cases it could even do it better or in a more customized way. But, it also required effort. Effort to learn the new apps, effort to change all the settings, and effort every time Google decided to change something that I thought was already working just fine.
Then I switched to Apple and I realized I didn't want necessarily want to spend all my time learning my phone, I wanted to spent my time USING it. To me, my iPhone is more like an appliance than a new tech gadget. It doesn't necessarily provide you with all the options and capabilities that an Android phone does, but it absolutely nails its core competencies and is very easy to use. I don't spend a single extra second trying to figure out HOW to use it, it just works.
Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#63I've only got a cursory understanding of RCS, but in what way is this good for consumers? I can understand how it's good for Google, but aside from Google it's unclear how anyone benefits.
RCS was the next version of SMS from the telecoms. Of course, while sms was a defacto standard across carriers, RCS fragmented. They made it only work within your specific carrier with their own text app.
This next RCS is a deriguer standard called RCS UniversalProfile. Google has pushed to get a wide group of carriers on board. It's been a long time, but it seems to be getting there...... maybe....
Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#64This is very exciting for the 8 people still using SMS I suppose.
I must have missed the memo
Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#65There was a time when I really thought Google was going to shake things up. Nexus Phones, Google Fiber, Google Fi, etc all sounded awesome. I bought a Nexus 5, switched to Fi, went through the super fun process of mixing around my google voice numbers, (breaking all kinds of stuff) but eventually I was mostly setup and functional. I'd lost some core parts of gVoice, but I figured it was just a matter of time before i…
I was, to a lesser degree, on the same path as you (Nexus 4, 5X, Pixel, Pixel 2 currently). Almost signed up for Fi, but decided not to after talking to a few people.
My next phone will be an iPhone, for pretty much the reasons you stated. As soon as they launch 5-6" iPhone with an OLED screen that doesn't have three goofy looking cameras on the back, I'm in.
Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#66How is there not an uproar over the lack of E2E encryption? With all the headlines lately around Cambridge Analytica and Snowden and Facebook - who in their right mind is okay with letting Google read their text messages? It's insane.
Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#67This is very exciting for the 8 people still using SMS I suppose.
That's very depend on country, and user segment. You'll read stories like "You must have Whatsapp to communicate in Europe", but in countries like Denmark, it's just SMS (unless you're on an iPhone that will automatically use iMessage).
For my circles of friends and family it's either SMS or iMessage and iMessage is only because most people don't realise that it's not SMS.
I am a little confused as to why they don't simple sneak RCS in, like Apple have done with iMessage. Just upgrade the users to RCS if available and fallback to SMS if not.
Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#68There was a time when I really thought Google was going to shake things up. Nexus Phones, Google Fiber, Google Fi, etc all sounded awesome. I bought a Nexus 5, switched to Fi, went through the super fun process of mixing around my google voice numbers, (breaking all kinds of stuff) but eventually I was mostly setup and functional. I'd lost some core parts of gVoice, but I figured it was just a matter of time before i…
Very similar experience here. I'm gathering energy to try leaving Google/Android all together for whatever awaits me with a pinephone (not yet available afaik). https://www.pine64.org/pinephone/ Thinking that I much prefer an interesting "how to do x thing I want to add to my experience" over an "oh I'm being corralled into undesired xyz by Google again, how to maintain / return to normal functions"
pinephone will be my next phone, ubports on nexus 5 has been pretty good too.
That said I feel like we're going into this weird place where you have to have a cell phone even though every day i feel like wanting to have one less and less.
Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#69There was a time when I really thought Google was going to shake things up. Nexus Phones, Google Fiber, Google Fi, etc all sounded awesome. I bought a Nexus 5, switched to Fi, went through the super fun process of mixing around my google voice numbers, (breaking all kinds of stuff) but eventually I was mostly setup and functional. I'd lost some core parts of gVoice, but I figured it was just a matter of time before i…
I was, to a lesser degree, on the same path as you (Nexus 4, 5X, Pixel, Pixel 2 currently). Almost signed up for Fi, but decided not to after talking to a few people. My next phone will be an iPhone, for pretty much the reasons you stated. As soon as they launch 5-6" iPhone with an OLED screen that doesn't have three goofy looking cameras on the back, I'm in.
> As soon as they launch 5-6" iPhone with an OLED screen that doesn't have three goofy looking cameras on the back, I'm in.
Wouldn't that be an iPhone X, or more recently iPhone XS?
Re: Upgrading Messaging on Android in the U.S. with RCS
#70There was a time when I really thought Google was going to shake things up. Nexus Phones, Google Fiber, Google Fi, etc all sounded awesome. I bought a Nexus 5, switched to Fi, went through the super fun process of mixing around my google voice numbers, (breaking all kinds of stuff) but eventually I was mostly setup and functional. I'd lost some core parts of gVoice, but I figured it was just a matter of time before i…
Pretty much exactly the path I took. I truly believed Google was set to change the world for the better. I had every Nexus device (and pre-Nexus with the Magic and Dream), watched every Google move with anticipation, etc. The 6P was the last Nexus I owned -- miserable battery life and poor experience that it brought -- though I held on with Android a bit longer with the Galaxy line.
I developed several apps on the platform with the motivation that I was helping a good product thrive.
The Pixel line has always been just a sad runner-up to Apple, but always with completely deluded prices. The oft talked about "Reality Distortion Field" best applies to Google's hardware products now, where they've created a succession of miserable entrants at bizarrely unrealistic prices.
Now I'm typing on a Macbook Pro with my iPhone 11 beside it. I use gmail out of legacy inertia, but aside from that Google just is not a compelling part of my life. I once truly believed they were a super innovative company that was trying to escape their ad revenue stream. Now I believe they're a very committed ad company desperately trying to push ads further afield.