Rich Communication Services (RCS) is the next-generation SMS protocol designed to replace the older Short Message Service. It offers a more feature-rich messaging experience, including high-resolution image and video sharing, read receipts, typing indicators, and enhanced group chats. When implemented on iOS 18, it signifies Apple’s adoption of this advanced messaging standard. For example, users will potentially be able to send high-quality videos to Android users without them being compressed as they are currently with SMS/MMS.
The importance of integrating RCS lies in bridging the feature gap between iMessage and SMS/MMS when communicating with Android users. This integration will improve the overall messaging experience by providing more reliable media delivery, more engaging group conversations, and advanced features previously unavailable when interacting with non-Apple devices. The historical context is that the mobile industry has been pushing for RCS adoption as a universal messaging standard for years to replace the outdated SMS.