Re: Carriers are only slowly adapting to iOS 18 beta RCS integration

 <https://webstrategiesblog.com/apples-rcs-adoption-in-ios-18/>
 <https://www.campaignregistry.com/a-monumental-day-for-rcs-apples-adoption-and-the-future-of-messaging/>
 Of course Apple does not really like that, since they are more or less
forced to support RCS and would prefer keeping their users in their own
golden cage with iMessage. But nevertheless - when iOS and Android both
support RCS and RCS is mandatory, there is no reason why it should be
around as universal standard similar to SMS nowadays.
 

Neither of those "news" items add anything to the discussion, and there’s nothing to suggest that using the RCS service will ever be mandatory.
Right at the moment, I can’t think of anybody who is missing out on a "messaging" platform. The sending or sharing of text / pictures and other media is well catered for, along with enough apps for voice and video telephony with our without the aid of Apple - and almost anything can be attached to an email.
SMS may be a "universal" standard but its unreliable and has no guaranteed level of service - ESMCP has been developed in order to avoid using it. So it seems curious to me that global SMS volumes continue to grow
Whatever it is that RCS is going to bring to this party, I think it will have to be fairly spectacular and probably free at the point of service otherwise I am not sure how it’s going to grow in a already saturated market.
If Apple don’t work out some way of tuning it in to a revenue stream then they will soon lose interest