Google wants to upgrade SMS

As long as it works with cellular data only - no internet - it will be a killer.
I see it will support the old SMS format as well.
 
Out of interest, is Hangouts not mentioned in the whole Whatsapp Facebook issue? I assume not because usage is so low.
 
Ockie said:
mmmm I am confused. So how does RCS send data then? RCS uses the IMS which uses data no?
Click to expand...

Well, that's the question.

1) If it uses normal Internet Data Transfer, then that is going to limit it to wi-fi areas or Internet Data over 3G.

2) But if it uses the old overhead transfer portion like SMS uses, then it can be used out in rural areas over plain GSM - no Internet connection required.

This was the benefit of SMS - and one of the things that has kept it alive so long. It means people out on farms and in the wilderness can use SMS without having 3G or wifi.
 
LazyLion said:
Well, that's the question.

1) If it uses normal Internet Data Transfer, then that is going to limit it to wi-fi areas or Internet Data over 3G.

2) But if it uses the old overhead transfer portion like SMS uses, then it can be used out in rural areas over plain GSM - no Internet connection required.

This was the benefit of SMS - and one of the things that has kept it alive so long. It means people out on farms and in the wilderness can use SMS without having 3G or wifi.
Click to expand...

OH ok.

My guess is where there is no good data connection it will default back to plain SMS instead of using RCS. The whole idea behind RCS is that you can do things that requires data, so sending pics, vid and HD calls. That you cant do if you dont have a proper data connection so I would think it will then just default back to plain text SMS and its backbone.
 
LazyLion said:
Well, that's the question.

1) If it uses normal Internet Data Transfer, then that is going to limit it to wi-fi areas or Internet Data over 3G.

2) But if it uses the old overhead transfer portion like SMS uses, then it can be used out in rural areas over plain GSM - no Internet connection required.

This was the benefit of SMS - and one of the things that has kept it alive so long. It means people out on farms and in the wilderness can use SMS without having 3G or wifi.
Click to expand...

What does IMessage use?
 
Ockie said:
OH ok.

My guess is where there is no good data connection it will default back to plain SMS instead of using RCS. The whole idea behind RCS is that you can do things that requires data, so sending pics, vid and HD calls. That you cant do if you dont have a proper data connection so I would think it will then just default back to plain text SMS and its backbone.
Click to expand...
That sounds feasible.
 
OK so iMessage is also a hybrid messaging platform. It can handle both rich media messages (over the Internet) and the old sms format.
If I am not mistaken Vodafone has a similar app called simple Message+.
And there are other similar hybrid apps in the play store.
So what is Google going to bring that's new?
 
LazyLion said:
OK so iMessage is also a hybrid messaging platform. It can handle both rich media messages (over the Internet) and the old sms format.
If I am not mistaken Vodafone has a similar app called simple Message+.
And there are other similar hybrid apps in the play store.
So what is Google going to bring that's new?
Click to expand...

Yes, iMessage does both and is the default messenger on Iphones, so if you message someone and they have a iPhone your message will be sent via iMessage data connection. If the other person does not have a iPhone then it will send it as a plain SMS/MMS.

Vodacom/Vodafone does have a RCS messenger and so do some other operators. The problem is the standard. No operator followed the same standard and so it was not inter-operable. So a customer on Vodafone UK could not message a RCS Telefonica customer in Spain for example. What google now wants to do is to get a standard in place with their RCS capable messenger app, so all Android phones will comply with the same standard and so will the operators, so does not matter what network you are on, you can message any customer via RCS all over the world.

That is how I understand the situation.
 
Problem how it is billed. If they agree to standarize on RCS, they will want to grab some revenue.
 
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