TL; Dr
- According to Tim Cook, Apple users are not interested in getting RCS messaging support on iPhone.
- He asked someone at a conference to bring his mother an iPhone to solve the green bubble problem.
- Google’s SVP for Android says you shouldn’t.
Update: September 8, 2022 (4:51 am ET): Google’s senior vice president for Android Hiroshi Lockheimer A response to the Apple CEO’s comments on RCS. He says people shouldn’t buy their mom’s new iPhone just to send photos and videos. You can check out Lockheimer’s tweet below and read what Tim Cook had to say about RCS support in iMessage in the original article below.
It’s clear why Apple is against interoperability. But people should send high-quality videos and photos to their moms without buying a new phone. # Message received https://t.co/j93wQRSqi6
Original article: September 8, 2022 (12:55 am ET): Apple CEO Tim Cook visited Code 2022 to talk about that RCS iMessage support. In response to an audience question during a panel discussion with Jony Ive and Lauren Powell Jobs, Cook said that Apple users are not interested in getting RCS support on the iPhone.
Cook’s exact answer to the question about RCS on the iPhone was as follows:
I don’t hear our users asking if we’re putting too much energy into it at this point.
His answer to the questioner was “buy your mom an iPhone” to solve the green bubble problem. Interestingly, Apple’s CEO said RCS is not a priority “at this time.” So it seems he hasn’t completely ruled out the possibility of future RCS support on iPhones.
