In the US, using the default messaging app on your phone is the norm for most people. Third party messaging apps like WhatsApp simply never caught on over here, so we’ve let Apple, Google, Samsung, etc determine how we talk to each other.
The default messaging apps on iPhone is locked down and can not communicate with any other messaging app except via SMS. Therefore the other apps have to use it to communicate with iPhone users, who you will never, ever convince to download a third party messaging app
It’s partially corporate bickering, partially consumers being tech illiterate and staunchly opposed to using anything third party.
You have to appreciate, in Europe, you’re mostly using Android, a (somewhat) open ecosystem.
But here in the states, iPhones are extremely prominent, and with them comes the mentality that Apple has spent decades programming into its consumers: don’t use anything non-Apple, and if that creates problems for other people, too bad, they should just buy Apple too.
Using SMS is largely because it’s been free on most vendors since about 2008. Just before smartphones took off, with everyone getting data plans which would enable proper messaging systems.
The default messaging apps on iPhone is iMessage. It’s locked down and can not communicate with any other messaging app except via SMS. Therefore the other apps have to use it to communicate with iPhone users, who you will never, ever convince to download a third party messaging app
One other thing is that none of the third party messaging apps can even use SMS. iOS is designed so that only Apple can use SMS.
In the US, using the default messaging app on your phone is the norm for most people. Third party messaging apps like WhatsApp simply never caught on over here, so we’ve let Apple, Google, Samsung, etc determine how we talk to each other.
The default messaging apps on iPhone is locked down and can not communicate with any other messaging app except via SMS. Therefore the other apps have to use it to communicate with iPhone users, who you will never, ever convince to download a third party messaging app
It’s partially corporate bickering, partially consumers being tech illiterate and staunchly opposed to using anything third party.
You have to appreciate, in Europe, you’re mostly using Android, a (somewhat) open ecosystem.
But here in the states, iPhones are extremely prominent, and with them comes the mentality that Apple has spent decades programming into its consumers: don’t use anything non-Apple, and if that creates problems for other people, too bad, they should just buy Apple too.
Using SMS is largely because it’s been free on most vendors since about 2008. Just before smartphones took off, with everyone getting data plans which would enable proper messaging systems.
I’ve been running XMPP on my phone since 2010.
One other thing is that none of the third party messaging apps can even use SMS. iOS is designed so that only Apple can use SMS.
I am familiar with the whole topic, but your summary is the best I’ve found, tackling objectively all the points of the issue.
I believe this is a real quote from Tim Cook when prompted about RCS in iMessage.