Google argues iMessage should be regulated by the EU's Digital Markets Act

... do you understand what iMessage is just another app, the only difference is what it's shipped with every iPhone and that's why it works?

Apple has replaced a universal protocol, SMS, with their own app which is not available anywhere except iOS. And you are happy and try to convince everyone what this is totally fine. You are okay for people to buy an iPhone yet you are totally opposed to download a free app. Exactly what Apple wants.

>> With iMessage/SMS there is no setup, no sign-in, no approval process or anything.

There is a setup - buying an iOS device, there is a sign-in - creating and logging into iCloud or whatever it's called account, there is an approval process - when you create the account you give Apple all what's in the EULA and it's a lot.

Oh, and if Google would replace, ahem, enhance SMS with their own proprietary app you would be the first to cry.

Get out of this 3rd world country *smug_face*

Honestly I do remember when I used the SMS lately - a once this year to contact a person whose contact was relayed to me through 3rd party. As soon as we confirmed what we are those who we are we moved on to Telegram. In the retrospect I should had just added his number to the address book and I would had seen what he is available on Telegram from the start, but I was in quite stressed state at that moment (hence the need to contact him, but that's the other story). But before that? Don't have an idea.

But overall people here just outright tell you on what platform they prefer to talk[0] from the start so you know it and your 'I need to ask people to install...' sounds... quite weird. Between all the people and different social media there is always at least WhatsApp or Telegram what everyone have.[2]

Another reason people have these apps is what they:

a) work; sure SMS do work, but sending a photo? Video? No way

b) priceless - sure, you pay for the traffic plan, but you pay for it anyway and it's extremely common now for providers to even give out a 'free' traffic for messengers. SMS still do cost money (at least for the crossprovider messages) and MMS... let's forget what MMS even existed. They are ugly and cost a ton. I'm not even sure young people, like younger than 25 even know what MMS is.

c) all messengers provide a way to conveniently send photos, voice messages (UGH!), video messages and place voice and video calls. All the things which are unavailable with SMS.

Honestly, after moving to 3G and further SMS doesn't even make sense - they are emulated on all levels and no longer a physical protocol. You can replace it with POEM (plain old email messaging) and it would be better on all occasions[1]

So yes, using SMS as anything is just another pointless American thing, along with price tags without tax and gaps under toilet stalls. Everyone else moved on because it's better. But because "it's the way" they "need it"(tm) and hence are quite defensive of anything what can even remotely change the status quo.

[0] and Instagram doesn't use the phone numbers, so adding to the phone book wouldn't help with autodiscover?

[1] hey, remember sms2email gateways? Email2sms?

[2] and amusingly enough I don't think most of people even knows what iMessage is, because even on iPhones they do use other messenger apps.

> Oh, and if Google would replace, ahem, enhance SMS with their own proprietary app you would be the first to cry.

I don't see any reason to object if it follows the same fallback pattern that iMessage does. I mean, in practice the current situation with RCS functions identically to iMessage -- it negotiates whether the person you're trying to message supports a fancier communication system, and if not it falls back to SMS. (The difference is that Apple could support RCS if it wanted to. But since it currently doesn't, there's no practical difference in experience to the users.)

What would be objectionable would be if Google (or Apple) switched the default texting app on their OS to only support a communication protocol that the other OS didn't support.

Default messaging app is simpler - if they have iMessage it goes there, if not it's SMS. I can be confident of delivery, and it's no hassle.

I mean, Telegram and WhatsApp are all available in the US. I don't quite get your sense of smug superiority about which specific flavor of multinational corporation sponsored messaging app you use.