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Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
151–160 of 902 posts
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#152At this point, why not just wait for Apple to release their RCS implementation? The nicest thing about iMessage (for me, at least) has always been that it was a significant improvement to SMS that just worked, with graceful fallback to SMS for anyone who didn't use it. No installing third party apps, wondering if someone new I wanted to contact would be on that messaging app, etc. A nice bonus, but not something that…
It's not weird. It might be weird in your eyes, but given how much exclusionary behaviour I've seen based on bubble colour, it's not weird in the slightest. I'd like to believe that apple supporting RCS will magically fix the whole 'green bubble/blue bubble' thing but I'm bearish as it seems to be more a cult thing than anything to do with functionality (I say this as an iMessage user).
And please, spare me the trite 'get new friends' comment.
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#153At this point, why not just wait for Apple to release their RCS implementation? The nicest thing about iMessage (for me, at least) has always been that it was a significant improvement to SMS that just worked, with graceful fallback to SMS for anyone who didn't use it. No installing third party apps, wondering if someone new I wanted to contact would be on that messaging app, etc. A nice bonus, but not something that…
The full app, Beeper Cloud, has a bunch of clients built in, that they'll be adding to this (as said in the link). This isn't just iMessage support, it's (eventually) multi-client.
> Over time, we will be adding all networks that Beeper supports into Beeper Mini, including SMS/RCS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Signal, Telegram, Instagram, Twitter, Slack, Discord, Google Chat and Linkedin.
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#154Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apple announced that they will support RCS. Presumably they will not charge Android users for sending RCS messages to iPhone users right?
Yes, I think RCS will be supported free of charge similar to SMS and MMS today. I also suspect that Apple will reserve blue bubbles for native iMessage and use green bubbles for RCS.
There was an info somewhere that RCS will still be green:
https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/16/apple-confirms-rcs-messages-w...
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#155Its awesome to reverse engineer this... but.. At the end of the day, this product is taking money for using Apple Services with no recompense to Apple. It won't last. Apple should have added an iMessage client to Android (and charged for it) long, long, long ago, but it doesn't change the ethics problem here. (This is the downside to the "just pay for it with hardware" model people always love rather than paying subs…
iMessage is offered as a free service. If they would like to 'receive recompense', then they should simply charge people. Do we provide recompense to YCombinator for using hackernews?
I see your point, but please steer clear of personal attacks - you can make your substantive points without that.
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#156At this point, why not just wait for Apple to release their RCS implementation? The nicest thing about iMessage (for me, at least) has always been that it was a significant improvement to SMS that just worked, with graceful fallback to SMS for anyone who didn't use it. No installing third party apps, wondering if someone new I wanted to contact would be on that messaging app, etc. A nice bonus, but not something that…
WhatsApp, Telegram and many other platforms do everything that iMessage does and more, without the deliberate segregation of users on different platforms.
In effect, you are using a third party app (as opposed to stock SMS), but Apple has integrated it into their OS and refused to release versions for other platforms.
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#157Earlier quoted context omitted.
Apple announced that they will support RCS. Presumably they will not charge Android users for sending RCS messages to iPhone users right?
Does RCS rely on Apple servers? If it just goes through the same carrier network the way SMS does, why would Apple need to be compensated for the use of their cloud infrastructure?
Yes, Apple will most likely run their own RCS servers.
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#158It's really impressive that a high school student [1] has managed to reverse engineer iMessage. What I'm wondering is: 1. How stable is it; would it be trivial for Apple to patch this? 2. If it's as simple as reverse engineering the protocols, how has it taken this long? [1] https://github.com/JJTech0130
Its more a commentary on how amateur it is in my respectful view. iMessage is a fundamentally unserious "product" in search of enough collateral flaws to harm those foolish enough to depend on it for anything.
Do you somehow think complexity is the opposite of amateur - that is, complex = professional?
Because I have bad news for you. If iMessage is simple that means literally the opposite of what you think it means.
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#159Trying to use this an I am stuck at the AppleID login screen (I don't have an AppleID). However from your message it seems that it should not be required: >No Apple ID is required
Sounds like phone-only registration didn't work. This may happen if you don't have a SIM card that can text outbound. If you are outside of US, Apple's SMS registration number is in the UK (+42)
+42 is Czechoslovakia
+44 is UK
Re: Show HN: Beeper Mini – iMessage client for Android
#160I'm on the fence about using this. I don't want to switch all my conversations over to iMessage and then have Apple figure out how to ban this. That kind of feels like a recipe for lost messages.
Same concern here. I think it's a more valuable use of time to get all your friends/family to switch to Signal. AND pay for (donate) to Signal.