Apple does not want the RCS standard for its SMS

As Android and mobile carriers plan to adopt the next-generation RCS standard for texting, Apple appears to be the last holdout for the change.

This Tuesday, Verizon, one of the largest operators in the United States, announced that it was adopting the standardRich Communications Service(RCS)from 2021, joining other historic operators in Uncle Sam's country: AT&T and T-Mobile. This change marks the last step before SMS is replaced by RCS on Android devices, a new standard that should come to fruition in the coming years for everyone.

Faced with this change that everyone defines as a necessity, SMS having largely had its day, Apple seems to be the only company that is reluctant to move to RCS.

To understand Apple's position, you should know that the new functionalities present within this RCS standard are already includedin iMessage. A very important point which explains, according toThe Verge,Apple's position on the issue and its absence during negotiations regarding the adoption of RCS on its devices.

Because as things currently stand, a user who would like to exchange from an Android device to an iPhone (and vice versa) would have to use SMS messages which are not end-to-end encrypted and which do not have the improvements present with RCS. If Apple refuses to adopt this new standard, then the message exchanged in the future between two users will default to SMS.

Apple adoption coming?

Faced with this lack of synchronization among the various players in the mobile scene, Apple could finally let go and adopt the RCS standard on its next devices. The latter should not replace iMessage, which remains the ultimate communication tool between iPhone users, but it should be further proof of the open-mindedness that the Cupertino company seems to have shown for several months.

The adoption of this standard could be part of a policy of inclusion of Android devices within the Apple ecosystem. The Cupertino company has already made it possible with iOS 15 (which is still in beta at the time of writing these lines) to letAndroid and Windows users join FaceTime calls. It would therefore not be very surprising to see the Apple brand adopt this new standard in the coming weeks.