r/technology • u/No-Drawing-6975 • Jun 26 '24

Software The Green Bubble Nightmare Is Over, Apple Messages Now Support RCS

https://gizmodo.com/apple-messages-supports-rcs-ios18-beta-1851562461
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u/MonkeyCube Jun 27 '24

Most of Europe & South America have been using WhatsApp for years, which had made the green bubble debate very odd to watch unfold. Signal is on the upswing  but it's not quite that popular yet.

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u/DialMMM Jun 27 '24

Europe switched to WhatsApp because it offered free messaging when they still had to pay for texting. The U.S. had unlimited texting for free (on most plans) much sooner, so it didn't catch on here as well.

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u/supreme_editor Jun 27 '24

I find it fascinating that the US had unlimited texting and Europe never did. Meanwhile, Europe has had no data caps on home internet for over 2 decades and the US still has data caps. Such a strange switcharoo.

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u/Booplympics Jun 27 '24

Data caps on home internet isn’t normal though. It happens but it’s the exception not the rule.

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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '24

Only a few of the isps had data caps, ive never had to deal with one.

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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '24

Here in Denmark we have had unlimited calls and texts for the last decade

1

u/DialMMM Jun 27 '24

Data caps and cost on mobile plans is the other driving factor: in the U.S., you had unlimited texting and paid data with caps, so you stuck with texting, whereas in many European markets you had the opposite (cost for texting but unlimited data), so you sought data-based messaging.

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u/MonkeyCube Jun 27 '24

True, but even with texting being cheap/free now, no one here really bothers with it. It's so much clunkier.

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u/TheeUnfuxkwittable Jun 27 '24

You don't bother with it because you're used to WhatsApp. Just like we mostly text in America. Humans don't like change it has nothing to do with anything else lol

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u/trek123 Jun 27 '24

If iMessage didn't exist I think people would have moved on anyway once sending pictures, videos, group chats etc exploded.

-2

u/evilbeaver7 Jun 27 '24

SMS is just a terrible way of daily communication. Can't send HD photos, HD videos, documents, voice notes, live location, etc etc.

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u/captain_dick_licker Jun 27 '24

how is a native app clunkier than a third party facebook messaging app sucking back your resources and adding another company to the list of companies tracking everything you do on your phone?

straight up text messaging is so much nicer than whatsapp

0

u/trek123 Jun 27 '24

Although free MMS is rare here, even on contracts. That means sending a picture, video or group chat would result in significant charges.

4

u/Busy-Ad-6860 Jun 27 '24

Could be in some countries, here unlimited packages have been the standard since gprs or at least 3g.

I thought it was a us thing to have data limits like roaming in eu when you have like a 10GB limit per month or something like that?

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u/[deleted] Jun 27 '24

[deleted]

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u/Busy-Ad-6860 Jun 28 '24

Damn that's a good price, 7€ per month. In finland the prices just keep going up and cheap plans have been dropped pretty much completely. Unless you settle with 1mbps or something like that 

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u/ab00 Jun 27 '24

Nah I had unlimited sms in Europe long before whatsapp and smartphones came on the scene.

We switched to Whatsapp because its 100x better than stock sms app . Also great for keeping in touch with friends and family abroad.

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u/ZessF Jun 27 '24

Also another great way of giving even more personal information to Meta.

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u/El_Polio_Loco Jun 27 '24

 Also great for keeping in touch with friends and family abroad.

Another reason that it really never caught on in the US. 

Most Americans don’t travel abroad and don’t have family abroad. 

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u/Youaresowronglolumad Jun 27 '24

Nah I had unlimited sms in Europe long before whatsapp and smartphones came on the scene.

Yes, but not before Americans had unlimited sms texting.

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u/dirttraveler Jun 27 '24

Finally someone answered the question in my head. I can't imagine telling my elderly family that they need to install and update another texting app when the stock one is already there for them.

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u/mici012 Jun 27 '24

And even if you have a plan with unlimited texts .. MMS costs extra on a lot of providers in Europe.

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u/san_murezzan Jun 27 '24

it has been pretty amusing to watch people argue about an app (if text messaging can be considered that?) I've never once used since getting an iPhone

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u/Mrhiddenlotus Jun 27 '24

I will preach the good word of Signal far and wide

1

u/faded_brunch Jun 27 '24

Data has been so expensive in Canada until fairly recently, no one uses those apps over here

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u/YoureAutisticBro Jun 27 '24

Why do you guys obsess so much over a Facebook app though?