Unveiling APPLE's Leap into the Future: RCS and Scheduled Texts Revolutionize Messaging

Apple might soon revolutionise the messaging experience on mobile handsets. With the upcoming iOS 18 release, the iPhone maker is adding RCS support and scheduled messages to the Messages app. Let’s take a look at what’s in store. Apple is finally getting its RCS (Rich Communication Services) act together (kind of). Now, you can finally send and receive RCS – supported chat features, including typing indicators, reaction bubbles, image sharing, and the ability to be seen as Busy, Away, or Do Not Disturb. But that’s not it! You can now also schedule messages. iOS 18 is set to be released soon.

APPLE Embraces RCS: A New Era of Texting With Android

This must have been particularly hard for iPhone users, stuck with Android users who use the older and rather rudimentary SMS and MMS standards. Blurry images, broken group chats and the lack of read receipts and typing indicators have marred cross-texting. Apple’s decision to support RCS is going to change all that.

The End of the Green Bubble Saga?

RCS, the successor to SMS, holds out the promise that Android users will be spared a lot of texting frustration. Apple’s green bubble will still infect users’ texts to and from Android’s phone number-based texting system, and the data transmission will still be insecure by today’s standards, but the increased richness of RCS will let users share media more reliably, have more dependable group messaging, and other core features once again. RCS will, at least, make something more like apples and apples out of a situation that has been more like apples and oranges.

Scheduled Messages: Timing is Everything

How many times have you composed a message right in the middle of the night – only to remember, in the wee hours, that it is important to send it on the morrow? Or a message to a colleague in a different time zone, that you don’t want to disturb with a late-night communication? Apple’s long-awaited capability to schedule messages has been added in a new minor release – part of a firehose of updates announced at WWDC 2024.

The Convenience of "Send Later"

Imagine composing a wish for a friend’s impending birthday or a message to prompt another to keep a doctor’s appointment six weeks from now, and being able to click a button to post it at the specified time. The new Send Later option showcases Apple’s deep commitment to what we all want: more flexibility and ease of use. It’s one of the best features of the most recent update to iOS.

A Glimpse into iOS 18: Beyond RCS and Scheduling

While RCS support and message scheduling grab headlines, iOS 18 is full of other improvements that will add a layer of polish to the Apple environment, from emoji generated by AI to messaging that even works via satellite.

Enhanced Interaction with Tapbacks and Emojis

Alongside the major overhauls of the messaging ecosystem, Apple has revamped Tapback to let users respond with any emoji or sticker, which is a small-but-meaningful step on the road to truly customisable, reactive communication.

APPLE's Strategic Move: Embracing Global Messaging Standards

Beyond being a boon for consumers who deserve better cross-platform messaging, Apple’s adoption of RCS hints at a broader strategy: one that brings their messaging product into line with the rest of the world. Faced with pressures from its regulators and its competitors, Apple’s decision to take on RCS signals a shift toward a messaging experience that works for all users – no matter what ecosystem they’re in.

The Road Ahead: Encryption and Privacy Concernens

As important as RCS integration is, the work isn’t done there, either – Apple appears to be positioning itself for future partnerships to enable end-to-end encryption for RCS, addressing one of the outstanding concerns about privacy and security in messaging. It’s not available at launch, but the pledge to encryption is there and is another signal of Apple’s commitment to user privacy.

Understanding APPLE

At the heart of Apple is an imaginative spirit of invention, where new technology and seamless implementation blurs together in the ether of awesome, creating magical solutions that make everyone’s lives better – from the fateful day that the first iPhone was released through to the introduction of RCS and scheduled messaging in iOS 18. Apple has never failed to strive for greater heights, reaching achingly, obscenely higher than anyone could have imagined, so that today it’s impossible to recall how people ever managed to accomplish even basic tasks before the blessed advent of iOS X or wherever we are now.

Finally, Apple’s investment in RCS and the addition of scheduled texts cement their commitment to consistently delivering seamless, smooth and complete messaging experiences. In the coming years as RCS rolls out globally, Apple will likely feature as a key shaper of the future of digital messaging.

To sum up, the latest Apple Messages app updates have the potential to change the way we message forever. Its seamless, speedy, and expressive features will make messaging on the iPhone and iPad unlike anything we’ve experienced before. One can only guess what the future for messaging holds as Apple innovates further and further. But one thing is for certain, messaging will never be the same again.