RCS: understand the main new feature of iOS 18 (beta 2)

RCS is available from certain operators after havingperformed the updateto iOS 18 (beta 2). This one isavailable for just a few hours. Thanks to the arrival of this new wireless telecommunications standard, which succeeds SMS, users can finally benefit from the many advantages to which Android mobiles are already entitled. Among these, we can notably cite the case ofcross-platform reactions. To better understand what this is about, let's take an example. Let's say you send a text message to a recipient, but they don't have an iPhone. Your correspondent could then react to your message using the hundreds of emojis available on Android. But in the past, your iPhone probably wouldn't have been able to process this reaction, being limited to just a few emojis. With RCS, it's a thing of the past: the right image should be displayed.

The RCS also allowsknow when your correspondent is typingon the keyboard, again if he doesn't have an iPhone. Previously, it was necessarily necessary to use the iMessage format to take advantage of this significant advantage. However, the latter is not still available on iOS today; This is proprietary technology from Apple.

Other advantages of RCS

Thanks to RCS, the iOS 18 Messages app also allows you tosupport higher resolution photos and videos. You should therefore no longer be limited when sending or receiving large files of this type. Note, moreover, that RCS also offers the possibility of exchanging cross-platform audio messages. However, we know that this format is particularly popular these days. What's more, with iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence, users will be able to transcribe this type of content in text form this fall (on iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max). Telegram already offers it, with its paid version. But the latter today costs 5.49 euros per month on the App Store.

Finally, please note that RCS also offers support for cross-platform acknowledgments. For professional users, many of whom choose the iPhone 15 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro Max, this is a key advantage, particularly in the context of online sales. As a bonus, with RCS you can now send SMS via the Wi-Fi network if the traditional network is unavailable. So that's the end of iMessage's discrimination, the only solution to do the same before.

I never believed this day would come. Wowie zowie!pic.twitter.com/vWDUE68loq
— Snazzy Labs (@SnazzyLabs)June 25, 2024

How to test RCS with iOS 18?

iOS 18 RCS is not available to everyone at this time. Indeed, our sources across the Atlantic assure that only customers who subscribe to operators AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are eligible for the moment. Note, however, that these are the three main access providers in the United States. Subsequently, others could also allow their customers to benefit from RCS, including in mainland France. It is difficult, however, to know when: it could just as easily be in a few days as in several weeks. Indeed, in France, mobile networks are rather very slow when it comes to keeping up with the latest standards. Cocorico…

The iOS 18 beta 2 update being an advanced version, it is also recommended todo not install iton your everyday iPhone to avoid encountering bugs. A final version is planned for this fall, intended for the general public. More precisely, we assume that this version will be deployed for everyone by September, where the supposed iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are also expected.