The Scourge of Low-Res Photos: Apple Finally Gives in to Sanity with iOS 18
As a longtime iPhone user married to a long-suffering Android user, I’ve had to endure the indignity of sending and receiving blurry, postage-stamp-sized photos for far too long. But finally, with the iOS 18 beta on my iPhone 15 Pro, I’ve experienced the bliss of high-res photo transmission. It’s a revolution, people!
Of course, this upgrade comes with some controversy. Apple’s half-hearted implementation of RCS (Rich Communication Services) is seen by some as a desperate attempt to placate regulators and stay relevant in the age of WhatsApp and Signal. And let’s be real, it’s still not as secure as Google’s take on RCS. But hey, it’s better than nothing.
So what’s the deal with RCS, anyway? Essentially, it’s a messaging protocol that allows for better photo and video sharing, as well as typing indicators, read receipts, and all that jazz. But here’s the thing: it’s still stuck in a three-tier system, where iMessage is the best-case scenario, RCS is the default, and SMS is the worst-case scenario. And don’t even get me started on the confusing interface details and performance issues.
But I digress. The real winner here is the user. Finally, we can send and receive high-res photos without having to resort to MMS or third-party apps. It’s a small victory, perhaps, but a victory nonetheless.
The iMessage Monster
But let’s not forget the elephant in the room: iMessage. Apple’s proprietary messaging platform is still the gold standard, and it’s hard to imagine a world where it’s not the default. The fact that RCS is still not encrypted and lacks some of the advanced features of iMessage is a reminder that Apple is still the 800-pound gorilla in the room.
And yet, there’s something to be said for the iMessage experience. It’s sleek, it’s intuitive, and it’s (mostly) seamless. The problem is, it’s not compatible with Android, and that’s where RCS comes in. So while Apple may not be thrilled about giving up its proprietary messaging protocol, RCS is a necessary evil in the world of cross-platform communication.
The Future of Texting
So what’s next for texting? Will RCS become the new standard, or will iMessage continue to reign supreme? One thing’s for sure: the era of blurry photos and confusing interfaces is coming to an end. And for that, we can all be grateful.
Image: The Verge
P.S. – The green bubble still lives, but that’s a topic for another time…
