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This year, iPhones will support Rich Communication Services (RCS). This will add new messaging features for both Android and iPhone users. These features include read receipts, typing indicators, and high-resolution media sharing. However, there is a problem: Google Messages compresses images a lot, even when the “Send photos faster” setting is off. This issue could spoil the smooth communication RCS aims to provide.
The Upcoming RCS Integration with iPhones
Adding RCS to iPhones is a big step towards improving messaging between iPhone and Android users. While many users outside the US use apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, many iPhone users in the US stick to iMessage. This can lead to social issues as Android users miss out on iMessage’s smooth communication.
Key Features of RCS
RCS will add several features to messaging between Android and iPhone users:
Read Receipts: See when your messages are read.
Typing Indicators: See when someone is typing.
Location Sharing: Share your location easily.
High-Resolution Media: Send high-quality photos and videos.
The Image Compression Issue
Despite these great features, there is a big issue with Google Messages. According to a recent find by Android Authority, in Android, it compresses images a lot, even when the “Send photos faster” setting is off. This means lower-quality images, which hurts one of RCS’s best features: high-resolution media sharing.
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Their editor used a Galaxy S24 Ultra to capture an image, that was sent through Google Messages (received by a Pixel 8 Pro). Note how much lower of a resolution the received image has, as well as its significant reduction in both megapixel count and file size:
Testing RCS on iPhone
Testing RCS on an iPhone 12 with iOS 18 beta shows the image quality issue with Google Messages is a big problem. It turns out that the iPhone will compress massive images before they go out, but only the file size is affected, with the megapixel count and resolution remaining unaffected.
Samsung Messages doesn’t do this, meaning this is not an Android problem. It’s a Google Messages problem. If not fixed, users won’t get the high-resolution media sharing that RCS promises.
The Need for a Fix
For RCS to work well between Android and iPhone users, Google must fix the image compression issue in Google Messages. The current image quality, even with the setting off, is not good enough for users who want to send and receive high-resolution images.
Samsung Messages as an Alternative
Samsung Messages also supports RCS, but fewer people use it compared to Google Messages. If Google doesn’t fix the image issue, Samsung Messages might be a better choice for those wanting better image quality.
Conclusion
The rollout of RCS support for iPhones is a big step in mobile communication. It will improve messaging between iPhone and Android users with features like read receipts, typing indicators, and high-resolution media sharing. But for this to work well, Google must fix the image compression issue in Google Messages. Without this fix, the high-resolution media sharing feature of RCS will not work well, affecting the user experience.
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