Introduction

Apple has over time enhanced the messaging experience through the latest iOS 18 developer betas. The largest of the changes remains the addition and expansion of Rich Communication Services (RCS) support, a protocol that is to succeed SMS with more features. Recently in iOS 18 developer beta 3, Apple added RCS support for multiple countries for iPhones, which improves IM messaging or chatting between iPhone and Android.

Initial Rollout Of RCS With iOS 18 Developer Beta 2

In June, Apple released iOS 18 developer beta 2, which brought RCS support to some iPhone users in U. S. This update allowed iPhone users to take advantage of features previously unavailable through traditional SMS, such as:

• High-quality image and video sharing
• Read receipts
• Typing indicators
• To use these features, iPhone users needed to be subscribed to one of the major U.S. carriers supporting RCS: Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T.

Expansion With iOS 18 Developer Beta 3

Released just a few days ago, iOS 18 developer beta 3 has expanded RCS support to include iPhone users in Canada, France, Germany, and Spain. Similar to the U.S. rollout, iPhone users in these countries must be on compatible carriers to utilize RCS. Some of these carriers include:

• Videotron
• Telus Mobility
• Bell
• Telefonica
• SFR
• O2

Features And User Experience

With RCS enabled, iPhone users can send and receive high-quality images and videos to and from Android users, replacing the low-resolution media typically transmitted over SMS and MMS. Users can identify when RCS is active by looking at the text field in the Messages app, which will display “RCS Message” when chatting with an Android user. Despite this new capability, the text bubbles will remain green, maintaining a distinction from the blue bubbles of iMessage conversations.

Future Outlook And Full Release

Apple plans to release the final, stable version of iOS 18 in September. However, not all carriers worldwide will be ready to provide RCS support by then. Those iPhone users who do have access to RCS will enjoy a more seamless and enhanced messaging experience with Android users. Apple’s adoption of RCS reflects a significant shift in its messaging strategy, although it is unlikely to diminish the appeal of its proprietary iMessage platform.

Additional Features In iOS 18 Beta 3

Beyond RCS support, iOS 18 beta 3 introduces several customization options that have generated excitement among iPhone users. These include:

• Customizing the location of home screen app icons and widgets
• Changing the color theme of app icons to match the wallpaper’s main color

Installation Guide

For those interested in trying out iOS 18 developer beta 3, it’s crucial to back up the iPhone first. To install the beta:

1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
2. Tap on Beta Updates at the top of the screen.
3. Select iOS 18 Developer Beta.
4. Tap the Back arrow in the upper left corner.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to Install Now or Install Tonight.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the most recent iOS 18 developer beta 3 has provided more coverage of the Rich Communication Services (RCS) to the iPhone users of more than four countries such as Canada, France, Germany, as well as Spain. This update allows for hi res photo and video sending, read and typing receipts, and other cross platform messaging between iPhone and Androids. As a sign that it is changing its messaging tact, Apple has adopted the RCS however, it won’t do away with its proprietary iMessage platform. Furthermore, iOS 18 beta 3 brings home screen personalization where users will be allowed to customize their home screen as well as the option of having more than one color for app icons.

In my own opinion, I believe that Apple’s gesture of embracing the RCS messaging protocol is noble and in a correct direction towards enhancing more standard and modern means of communication. Opportune to state that the option to spread wide, share, and download high-quality media as well as use other features will for sure lead to the better experience for the users. But I would like to know more about such concerns in the future of iMessage and whether the parent company, Apple, will continue to build the proprietary platform.

Now it’s your turn! What do you feel about Apple’s deploying of RCS and its prospect for messaging apps and services in the future? I would love to get your feedback and thoughts as to how we can further the conversation. What are the future peculiarities of messaging: Will RCS become a new standard, or will such systems as iMessage prevail?

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