ivaua

arthurba said:

Let me share an 'outside the US' perspective.

All this discussion about RCS is moot.

If I send an SMS/RCS to any Android contact, I never get a reply and they never see it.

Why?

Because Android users use WhatsApp.  In other countries it's WeChat.  

They see it as a combination iMessage/Facetime app and use it just like us Apple users use iMessage/Facetime - ie: we don't use anything else.

I asked a friend about my text message and they showed me their phone: no sign of my message, and no sign of any app that would show an SMS either.  They either hadn't installed it or deleted that app.

I'm guessing in the US it's different, but I wouldn't think that it will be different for long.

Let me support you on this with both hands and feet!!! 
Remembering dark times of only SMS and understating to an extent how it works, I can't understand all the fuss of Apple not giving a support to RCS. Of course now it does, but does it help much, since RCS is a 99% function of MOBILE OPERATOR (messaging server+exchange/interconnect with other operators) and not a manufacturer of the phone. In many cases, even with SMS there are hiccups to this day since some some operators are not signing agreements about SMS exchange (thus no technical implementation of exchange) and you can't send a message to someone abroad. And personally, I'm expecting the same happening in RCS space, in your bubble, everything works fine but just step left or right, and it is all shambles. Another issue, how mobile operators are going to charge for this service, are they going to do the same as with phone calls by screwing customer and with implementing of VoIP (read oLTE, oWiFi) and still charging you minutes as if it is old time GSM or god forbid NMT with CDMA.
ZERO optimism on RCS.
And yes, there are nearly 6 billion people living outside of USA...

I wouldn't call it a replacement of the on in Helsingborg. Seems everyone already forgotten rather scandalous situation when Apple was trying to get a space at Kungsträdgärden which is Stockholm downtown, the place currently occupied by T.G.I. Friday's which looks rather questionable from aesthetic point of view but local community protested propping up Apple Store at this place, supposedly tarnishing the place with its presence... Just to remind, that the nearest to Stockholm Apple Store is relatively faaar outside of Stockholm in Täby and you can't call it a high traffic place to any stretch of imagination. Long story short, Apple was struggling to have a nice place for a store in Sweden's capital for years and if it will be Scandinavia Mall, why not, already better and traffic of people there is rather significant.

I can't understand the excitement, really. RCS as SMS is the same - mobile operator depending service. I do not see it as a step forward, whatever the regulatory requirements could be. I will dare to say that nobody cares about it outside of USA. The phone could support the service but operator might be refusing to implement it in the network. Everyone is reacting as if it is platform agnostic system which doesn't require anything but support of the service on the user side. Meanwhile everyone (operators which declared support) relying on Google RCS servers but it is not replacing SMS to any stretch of imagination in the meantime. It is just a version of any other messenger relying on data connection (like iMessage or WhatsApp). Google pushed RCS forward but at the end of the day created an app which Google's response to Messages app on iPhone, falling back on SMS support when data is not available or person on the other side doesn't have iDevice (or doesn't support RCS). The only messenger know to me which was not relying on servers and was able to operate even without internet just on LAN was Skype (that was 20 years ago). Too much of hype over RCS. "Breaking news", iPhone is not a dominant platform outside of USA (barely 20%).

PS: sorry for rant, I was holding it for too long.