tl; DR
- Tim Cook says Apple users aren’t keen on getting RCS messaging support on iPhones.
- He told someone at a conference to get his mom an iPhone to solve the green bubble problem.
- Google’s SVP for Android says you shouldn’t do this.
Update: September 8, 2022 (4:51AM ET): Senior Vice President of Google for Android Hiroshi Lockheimer A response to Apple CEO comments about RCS. He says people shouldn’t buy their mom’s new iPhones just to send photos and videos. You can watch Lockheimer’s tweet below and read what Tim Cook had to say about RCS support on iMessage in the original article below.
It’s clear why Apple is against interoperability. But people should be able to send high-quality videos and photos to their mom without having to buy her a new phone. # message received https://t.co/j93wQRSqi6
Original article: September 8, 2022 (12:55 AM ET): Apple CEO Tim Cook went to Code 2022 to say a few words about him RCS iMessage support. In response to a question from an audience member during a panel discussion with Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs, Cook said Apple users aren’t keen on getting RCS support on the iPhone.
Cook’s exact response to the question about RCS on iPhones was as follows:
I don’t hear our users asking that we put too much energy on it at this point.
His response to the questioner was “Buy your mom an iPhone” to solve the green bubble problem. Interestingly, the Apple CEO said that the RCS is not a priority “at this point”. So it seems he hasn’t completely dismissed the possibility of RCS support on iPhones in the future.
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