Recently, Gurman revealed in the Q&A session of the latest Power On newsletter that Apple is about to implement a major update in iOS 18, that is, to support the cross-platform messaging standard RCS in iPhone messaging apps. This news has attracted a lot of attention from the industry and consumers, as it will enable WiFi messaging between iPhone and Android devices, bringing a series of improvements and advantages.
RCS, short for Rich Communication Services, is an IP-based data transfer service designed to provide higher quality messaging and a richer communication experience. Compared with traditional SMS text messages, RCS supports richer communication functions such as higher resolution ** and **, voice messages, typing prompts, read receipts, etc. At the same time, RCS also provides improved group chat features, including read receipts and exited conversations.
For Apple, implementing RCS support will bring it a huge business opportunity and competitive advantage. First of all, RCS support will enable iPhone users to achieve a more seamless communication experience with Android users, which will further solidify Apple's leading position in the field of mobile communications. Second, RCS support will bring more advertising and business model possibilities to Apple, such as pushing ads through RCS messages or providing paid advanced communication services.
In addition, RCS support will also provide Apple with stronger security. Compared with traditional SMS, RCS uses stronger encryption technology to better protect users' communication security and privacy. This will help increase trust and loyalty to Apple devices.
However, Apple's implementation of RCS support also faces some challenges and risks. First of all, cooperation and compatibility with other vendors will be a big challenge. Since the RCS standard is developed by organizations such as the GSMA, Apple needs to cooperate and coordinate with other manufacturers to ensure the interoperability and compatibility of RCS support. Second, Apple needs to balance the relationship between user experience and advertising to avoid over-commercialization that negatively affects user experience.
Overall, Apple's implementation of RCS support will bring it a huge business opportunity and competitive advantage. By providing richer communication features, stronger security, and interoperability and compatibility with other vendors, Apple will further solidify its leading position in the field of mobile communications. At the same time, it will also bring broader development prospects and business opportunities for the entire industry. (Data support: Tianyancha).