Apple CEO wants you to "buy your mom an iPhone" instead of supporting universal messaging standard RCS

iPhones were one of the first devices in the world to realize the need for a far more advanced system when it comes to messaging. The iMessage service does exactly that, but not with its own set of limitations. There has been an increase in demand for the platform to support RCS chat protocols, but fans might not be getting what they want any time soon.

There has always been business tension between Android and iOS and the two parent companies - Apple and Google. The two tech giants rival each other and have been trying to dominate in an increasingly competitive space. Google and Apple haven't been short of innovations regarding their mobile operating software.

RCS is a much more advanced form of messaging than the older SMS system. It is multifunctional, but the associated scope is also higher. Unfortunately, there are specific barriers to how it currently works due to the rivalry between the two brands.

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RCS isn't a priority for Apple as far as iPhones are concerned

It's accepted globally that the iPhones are some of the most sophisticated pieces of tech available to mankind. However, it doesn't necessarily mean that there can't be improvements. As good as Apple's products are, there are some areas of accessibility where it lacks the cutting edge. Whether that's deliberate or not is another topic of discussion.

At the 2022 Code Conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook had a bizarre reply when asked to speak about enabling RCS support in the iMessage application. Cook took questions from the audience and was part of a panel discussion with Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs.

According to Cook, iPhones won't be getting RCS support soon as it's not a priority. He further added that there hadn't been similar demands from iPhone users, which could be why they put it on lower priority. To solve the problem, Cook advised the questioner to get his beloved mother, a flagship device from Apple.

While the response might have been done in humor, it once again shows Apple's reluctance to dance to Google's tunes. The latter has been lobbying for Apple to make its platforms much more receptive to RCS protocol regarding messaging. Unfortunately, Apple hasn't paid any heed to that and continues to do so irrespective of what the consumers demand,

If there's a positive to be derived, there could someday be RCS support on iMessage. In the end, Cook mentioned that enabling RCS support was low on their list, which doesn't rule out a possibility.