Apple announced it will adopt the RCS (Rich Communication Services) days after Nothing said it will bring iMessage to its Phone 2.
The feature on iOS devices will be launched via a software update “later next year”, bringing a wide range of iMessage-style features to messaging between Apple and Android devices, a report from 9to5Mac said.
RCS messaging standard’s implementation on iOS devices will bring features like read receipts, typing indicators, high-quality images and more to cross-platform messaging. RCS, unlike regular SMS, works over mobile data or Wi-Fi, supplanting SMS and MMS as the mode of communication between devices.
However, SMS and MMS will also continue to be available as a fallback when needed, Apple said.
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The move from Apple comes amid pressure from regulators and competitors like Google and Samsung even as RCS has developed to become a more mature platform than it once was.
Earlier this week, Nothing had announced it would launch a messaging app that supports both RCS and iMessage in a bid to improve cross-platform messaging.
Google in the past has also tried to convince Apple to open its iMessage platform, even accusing the iPhone maker of giving sub-standard experience to users when it comes to communicating via messages.
As part of its announcement to support RCS, Apple reiterated its support for open standards, that comes at a time when the company is facing pressure under the European Union’s latest Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Earlier this year, Apple joined Microsoft in arguing that some of their services including the iMessage chat app were not popular enough to be designated as “gatekeepers” under the DMA, the law designed to curb the powers of Big Tech.
