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Apparently it's live in the UK and France for Android as of a couple months ago[1], so maybe not entirely dead? 1: https://9to5google.com/2019/07/01/rcs-hands-

Apparently it's live in the UK and France for Android as of a couple months ago[1], so maybe not entirely dead? 1: https://9to5google.com/2019/07/01/rcs-hands-on-not-quite-imessage-for-android/ https://9to5google.com/2019/07/01/rcs-hands-on-not-quite-ime...

threeseed 7y ago
Only one operator in UK (Vodafone) so far. There are about 800+ mobile phone operators around the world and based on reports about 50 or so have signed up. Not a great percentage after 10+ years. And I think the lack of encryption is going to kill adoption in many parts of the world.
- kbenson 7y ago
  "But now Google is taking over: later this month, Android users in the UK and France will be able to opt in to RCS Chat services provided directly by Google instead of waiting for their carrier to support it."[1] Sounds like we might get some movement on this soon, as Google is offering their own servers as a fall-back in the case that the network provider hasn't provided their own. 1: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/17/18681573/google-rcs-chat-android-texting-carriers-imessage-encryption https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/17/18681573/google-rcs-chat-...
Mindwipe 7y ago
Live in the UK. Never received an RCS. Nor has anyone I know. For all Google's bluster here it's not supported by the carriers, and only works on Google's own SMS app - not the AOSP or OEM ones - which only the tiniest proportion of the market uses as it's not the default on 90%+ of Android phones shipping today. There is no UK RCS market.
- kbenson 7y ago
  RCS is a federated protocol. Any app could use it if the network providers supplied a service for it. Google is providing a Google server fallback for if they don't. There may not be a UK RCS market, but given it was just turned on a couple months ago and for a few countries, perhaps it's too soon to call it decided?
  - Mindwipe 7y ago
    My point was specifically in response to Google's claim that RCS is a "gold" market for RCS where they have already completed the rollout. They haven't. They have the support of one carrier with roughly 20% market share, and about 3 - 5% of Android devices. There isn't really any reason to surmise that is going to improve, and Google's boasting here is very silly. RCS is a dead end product in every non-US territory, and Google have no market levers to pull that can improve it's performance. They should give up on it and focus their efforts on the US bluntly.
    - kbenson 7y ago
      > They have the support of one carrier with roughly 20% market share, and about 3 - 5% of Android devices. According to Google (in the articles I read and shared here), whether the network provider supports it is irrelevant because they are supplying their own server in those cases, so it should just work. If you're in that region I'm interested to hear what you experience is if you have access to an Android phone and test.
      - Mindwipe 7y ago
        Either the provider has to support it or the SMS app on the device has to (TBH the provider support also requires some level of integration with the SMS app but that level is more common). Google has rolled out a provider independent implementation to it's own SMS app, but that SMS app has no marketshare. My experience is that, without going and hunting out an app to install, my Samsung handset has no support. I have a number of test devices, some of which do have support and a few even have support by default, but those have no marketshare.

threeseed 7y ago

Only one operator in UK (Vodafone) so far. There are about 800+ mobile phone operators around the world and based on reports about 50 or so have signed up. Not a great percentage after 10+ years. And I think the lack of encryption is going to kill adoption in many parts of the world.

kbenson 7y ago
"But now Google is taking over: later this month, Android users in the UK and France will be able to opt in to RCS Chat services provided directly by Google instead of waiting for their carrier to support it."[1] Sounds like we might get some movement on this soon, as Google is offering their own servers as a fall-back in the case that the network provider hasn't provided their own. 1: https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/17/18681573/google-rcs-chat-android-texting-carriers-imessage-encryption https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/17/18681573/google-rcs-chat-...

Mindwipe 7y ago

Live in the UK. Never received an RCS. Nor has anyone I know. For all Google's bluster here it's not supported by the carriers, and only works on Google's own SMS app - not the AOSP or OEM ones - which only the tiniest proportion of the market uses as it's not the default on 90%+ of Android phones shipping today. There is no UK RCS market.

kbenson 7y ago
RCS is a federated protocol. Any app could use it if the network providers supplied a service for it. Google is providing a Google server fallback for if they don't. There may not be a UK RCS market, but given it was just turned on a couple months ago and for a few countries, perhaps it's too soon to call it decided?
- Mindwipe 7y ago
  My point was specifically in response to Google's claim that RCS is a "gold" market for RCS where they have already completed the rollout. They haven't. They have the support of one carrier with roughly 20% market share, and about 3 - 5% of Android devices. There isn't really any reason to surmise that is going to improve, and Google's boasting here is very silly. RCS is a dead end product in every non-US territory, and Google have no market levers to pull that can improve it's performance. They should give up on it and focus their efforts on the US bluntly.
  - kbenson 7y ago
    > They have the support of one carrier with roughly 20% market share, and about 3 - 5% of Android devices. According to Google (in the articles I read and shared here), whether the network provider supports it is irrelevant because they are supplying their own server in those cases, so it should just work. If you're in that region I'm interested to hear what you experience is if you have access to an Android phone and test.
    - Mindwipe 7y ago
      Either the provider has to support it or the SMS app on the device has to (TBH the provider support also requires some level of integration with the SMS app but that level is more common). Google has rolled out a provider independent implementation to it's own SMS app, but that SMS app has no marketshare. My experience is that, without going and hunting out an app to install, my Samsung handset has no support. I have a number of test devices, some of which do have support and a few even have support by default, but those have no marketshare.