Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
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Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#2But all you have to do is charge a yearly fee... Apple keeps talking about moving to services revenue but can't even tackle the low hanging fruit. Heck, bundle it with iCloud and make it something ridiculous like $20/month and you'll get the best of both worlds.
Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#3They’ve launched products for other platforms with limited success, except for the big one being iTunes for Windows which was a huge success.
There is no reason in the end to support more platforms because problems with other platforms end up being blamed on the service. I think this is also something they strictly want to avoid.
If there are integration issues with X networks, Y devices and Z versions of android. Users will complain to Apple. From this perspective I think it makes sense.
Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#4It works both ways though; in countries where iPhone market share is not extremely high, nobody uses the exclusive features of iMessage such as group chats and it’s just ‘automatic free sms with some extras’.
Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#5They’ve launched products for other platforms with limited success, except for the big one being iTunes for Windows which was a huge success. There is no reason in the end to support more platforms because problems with other platforms end up being blamed on the service. I think this is also something they strictly want to avoid. If there are integration issues with X networks, Y devices and Z versions of android. Us…
You're not wrong, but, the article is about high-level Apple employees discussing that they're doing it to limit switching to Android, not because they're worried about supporting different Android versions.
Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#6I don’t understand the point this article is trying to make.
Yes, Apple execs thought that iMessage exclusivity would help them. Perhaps it did a little but the app still connects seamlessly to android users via sms. I never think when contacting someone, “oh wait, do they have an iPhone?”
As for imessage-specific features (iMessage App Store, cash, imessage for businesses etc): they have pretty limited use. And in fact Apple’s choice inhibits some of them (like iChat to your business) which seems like an own goal.
More importantly, Whatsapp has crushed most of the messaging apps, imessage included. Apple doesn’t seem to care or try to block it.
So what offense, exactly has been committed?
Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#7I don’t understand the point this article is trying to make. Yes, Apple execs thought that iMessage exclusivity would help them. Perhaps it did a little but the app still connects seamlessly to android users via sms. I never think when contacting someone, “oh wait, do they have an iPhone?” As for imessage-specific features (iMessage App Store, cash, imessage for businesses etc): they have pretty limited use. And in f…
iMessage intentionally attaches social inclusion to ability to buy premium hardware. I think that's wrong.
Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#8I don’t understand the point this article is trying to make. Yes, Apple execs thought that iMessage exclusivity would help them. Perhaps it did a little but the app still connects seamlessly to android users via sms. I never think when contacting someone, “oh wait, do they have an iPhone?” As for imessage-specific features (iMessage App Store, cash, imessage for businesses etc): they have pretty limited use. And in f…
> Perhaps it did a little but the app still connects seamlessly to android users via sms.
And meanwhile, when I'm (with an Android device) texting my friend (with an iPhone), I end up getting spammed with 'Laughed at "$MESSAGE"' and 'Loved "$MESSAGE"' because apparently reactions to texts come across as texts themselves.
(I don't know if this is an iMessage thing specifically, though, or even something that a sufficiently-smart Android SMS app couldn't overcome; maybe there are Android SMS apps that can parse these and show them as reactions to the relevant messages. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )
Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#9It's not a long-term problem because they're going to have to add support for RCS at some point, meaning Android users will have a similar experience to iMessage with their iOS friends.
Apple wasn't going to port iMessage to Android because there isn't any benefit. I can't charge people to use a messaging app, they're free.
I love iMessage, it's one of the reasons I stay on the Apple platform, but in a world where almost all my friends use some other app anyway, it doesn't really matter. Like I still have to have Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Snapchat and Signal installed in order to talk to everyone. iMessage is mostly great for less technical family members because they "get it out of the box".
Re: Apple admits that iMessage for Android was killed to keep its walled garden
#10I don’t understand the point this article is trying to make. Yes, Apple execs thought that iMessage exclusivity would help them. Perhaps it did a little but the app still connects seamlessly to android users via sms. I never think when contacting someone, “oh wait, do they have an iPhone?” As for imessage-specific features (iMessage App Store, cash, imessage for businesses etc): they have pretty limited use. And in f…
> Whatsapp has crushed most of the messaging apps, imessage included.
Not in US. And specially not within teens in US. ( And you can exclude Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and possibly Australia as well. Edit: And of course China. )
To this day I still dont understand how anyone use iMessages on a day to day basis. It is possibly the worst form of instant messaging I have had for years. Even worst than ICQ.