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Apple asserting that the iPhone’s Messages app will support RCS was fairly a shock a couple of months in the past. I additionally thought it was an excellent factor to do, as Apple virtually ended the controversy over bubbles.
On the time, I assumed Apple was merely getting ready for the inevitable battles with regulators. The European Union, specifically, has been a nuisance for Apple, pressuring the corporate to adjust to the brand new Digital Markets Act (DMA) guidelines. iMessage isn’t a part of that for the second, however issues may at all times change sooner or later.
It seems that Apple may need responded to pressures from third events. Solely it wasn’t EU lawmakers that satisfied the corporate so as to add RCS assist to the Messages app, along with iMessage and SMS. It is perhaps Chinese language carriers that requested the characteristic.
The tidbit comes from John Gruber, who has realized from his sources that “Apple’s hand was successfully compelled. Nevertheless it was China as an alternative of the EU that did it:
However then why did Apple do a 180° activate RCS? I can’t say for sure, alas, however after spending the previous couple of months periodically poking across the bushes inhabited by little birdies, I do have excellent news for followers of coercive authorities regulation. Apple’s hand was successfully compelled. However by China, not the EU.
Chinese language carriers have been proponents of RCS for years, and final 12 months, the Chinese language authorities started the method of codifying into legislation that to realize certification, new 5G devices will be required to support RCS. (Here’s a good English translation on Reddit of the components related to Apple.) Shockingly, the Chinese language authorities seemingly isn’t involved that the RCS commonplace has no provisions for encryption. The little birdies I’ve spoken to all mentioned the identical factor: iOS assist for RCS is all about China.
China is certainly one of Apple’s most vital markets. It’s additionally a market that usually imposes strict measures, together with the censoring of apps and providers.
China can also be the market the place Apple assembles most of its merchandise, together with the iPhone. However Apple has been attempting to maneuver a few of these strains to different international locations, with India being a rising manufacturing hub for the iPhone.
So when China has requests for Apple, the iPhone maker often complies. “When the CCP says gadget makers should bounce to promote their merchandise in China, Apple asks ‘How excessive?’” Gruber notes.
I’ll additionally remind you that Apple will support the RCS standard in iMessage not the encrypted model that Google has delivered. That’s the GSMA commonplace that carriers use. RCS may get encryption down the highway on iPhone, however nothing is for certain for now.
That mentioned, it’s unclear when RCS will roll out to iPhone. iOS 18 seems just like the almost certainly improve to allow RCS on iPhone. We’ll study extra concerning the iPhone’s next-gen working system in June at WWDC 2024.
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