Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

engadget.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 208 posts

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#81

Post by blantonl »

cloogshicer wrote: post #42

Thankfully, shit like this will soon be illegal in the EU when the Digital Markets Act hits. Hopefully they'll plug all the loopholes and actually enforce it. I don't understand how anyone can defend business practices like this, which are exclusively there for the purpose of platform lock-in.

Since when did Apple have any obligation to provide iMessage to Android users? 10 years ago? Now?

I think Tim Cook is spot on here. Get an iPhone for your grandma if she wants the user experience that iMessages provide. Otherwise, you can get her signal or snapchat or one of the 4,225 secure messaging ecosystems.

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#82

Post by KerrAvon »

overboard2 wrote: post #28
hotpotamus wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the sad world that tech has built for us, you have to find the humor where you can ;)

You don't have to buy her an iPhone

If you want to minimize your tech support calls? Come on.

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#83

Post by princevegeta89 »

zffr wrote: post #23
princevegeta89 wrote: post #11

Tried an iPhone for a month when my Samsung S21 went in for repair. The perceived sheer lack of features and big UX gaps and missing features instantly made me profoundly dislike iPhone. Just my opinion.

Can you be more specific? I feel that an iPhone user might say the same about android if they were to switch.

Sure, one missing simple feature is to be able to use keypad to do alphabetical search (for contacts) at the same time. Ex: You could not type "42779" for "HARRY". There is also nothing like Secure Folder on iOS as well AFAIK.

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#84

Post by chimeracoder »

Overtonwindow wrote: post #57
Nomentatus wrote: post #3

The lack of interoperability is strictly illegal since it's being leveraged to expand Apple's already formidable market power (using market power to extend market power is the strictly illegal part) by pushing people to buy an iphone. Cook can hardly deny that's a conscious thought at Apple, 'cause he just said the quiet part out loud. FRO - IINAL but I do know "monopoly" is not the correct term in law, "market power…

I don’t understand, where is the interoperability issue?? I can send someone who has an android phone a text message. I can send them a photo, or a video. It would seem the two are completely interoperable. Does having your messages turn green really upset people that much?

> I can send someone who has an android phone a text message. I can send them a photo, or a video.

You can, and the quality of the photo/video on the other end is horrendous. It's artificially downgraded. Android doesn't have this problem when messaging any other platform, because all other platforms use RCS (an open standard), which Apple chooses not to adopt because they benefit from the lock-in.

It also breaks all the other features that iMessage and RCS both provide. So no, it's not just about the color of the bubble: it actually is an interoperability issue.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2022/08/13/google-apple-...

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#85

Post by SketchySeaBeast »

Overtonwindow wrote: post #66
felixdaq wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The average Joe does not know the difference between SMS and the more advanced features that iMessage offers when messaging withing the apple ecosystem. All they see is that androids are unable to send high quality images, send reactions etc.

But why is this Apple’s problem? The average Joe does not know the difference between a Tesla and a Toyota, specifically the more advanced features that the Tesla offers. Should Tesla be required to change their system to be more “compatible“ with Toyota? This whole iMessage android debacle just sounds like sour grapes.

That metaphor doesn't make sense because these are communication devices that are supposed to interact. It's more like if only other Tesla's could hear each-others horns or signal lights or something, but even that's not great.

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#86

Post by blantonl »

emodendroket wrote: post #56
princevegeta89 wrote: post #11

Tried an iPhone for a month when my Samsung S21 went in for repair. The perceived sheer lack of features and big UX gaps and missing features instantly made me profoundly dislike iPhone. Just my opinion.

I used Android for years and despite liking the theoretical flexibility in practice the iPhone is better for the way I actually use the thing.

I agree here. Android is really fun to tinker with different interesting features, hidden options, all kinds of customization etc.

But my iPhone just works.

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#87

Post by chimeracoder »

larsnystrom wrote: post #43

I don’t get why RCS has to involve carriers. Apple could implement iMessage without involving carriers, so it should be possible to implement a messaging protocol which doesn’t rely on them (but also isn’t proprietary). By involving carriers you’re making it harder (impossible?) to create a client to be used on devices not on the cellular network. I just don’t see the point.

> By involving carriers you’re making it harder (impossible?) to create a client to be used on devices not on the cellular network. I just don’t see the point.

On the contrary, RCS allows you to text over Wi-Fi, which SMS does not.

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#89

Post by blantonl »

hbosch wrote: post #76
DavideNL wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well not yet, but the EU is working on it; The Digital Markets Act states that major messaging services must be interoperable. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/nl/press-room/20220315IP...

So by this act, should I be able to send a Twitter DM to your phone number if you don't have a Twitter account? What does interoperability mean here? Can I send Instagram messages from my Signal app?

By law the EU is going to require that when you make an Amazon Alexa announcement in your household that "dinner is ready" it will have to interoperate with Facebook messaging, Twitter DMs, Instangram messages, LinkedIn, Signal, iMessages, and SMS.

Re: Tim Cook's response to Android texting compatibility: 'buy your mom an iPhone'

#90

Post by Hamcha »

hbosch wrote: post #76
DavideNL wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well not yet, but the EU is working on it; The Digital Markets Act states that major messaging services must be interoperable. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/nl/press-room/20220315IP...

So by this act, should I be able to send a Twitter DM to your phone number if you don't have a Twitter account? What does interoperability mean here? Can I send Instagram messages from my Signal app?

IANAL but I think the legal ramification is probably that big services won't be allowed to ban third party clients and services, i.e. Whatsapp waged war on unofficial clients for the longest time
Post reply on HN