Apple announced this week that it will add RCS support for iPhones in its next update, with iOS 18 expected to be released in the autumn. What do we know about RCS messages at the moment and what does this mean for businesses?
RCS is coming to iPhone: what do we know about the release date?
Apple will bring RCS messaging with iOS 18, but no exact release date has been given yet. Although it's not entirely clear how RCS will be integrated into the iPhone, 9to5Mac:n RCS will operate separately from iMessage. iMessage will remain the primary communication channel for Apple users.
With RCS, non-iOS users can take advantage of rich communication features when communicating with Apple users.
”This is significant news for the future of RCS and represents a major leap towards the goal of RCS messages eventually reaching 100% coverage in terminals.”
- Quriirin Business Director and co-founder Lasse Lohikoski.
Why is Apple bringing RCS support to iPhone?
Apple has not officially announced the reasons for supporting RCS, but a few key factors can be highlighted:
Regulatory pressure from Europe
The Digital Agenda for Europe, adopted by the EU in 2022, requires tech giants like Apple to ensure that their messaging apps are interoperable by 2024. This means that iMessage and the App Store should be available to everyone. Breaking the law can result in fines of up to 20 % of a company's total revenue, a significant incentive to support RCS.
The growing popularity of the RCS
The use of RCS is expected to grow significantly as multi-faceted communications become commonplace. In 2022, there will be 1.2 billion RCS users, and Juniper Research predicts that by 2026 there will be 3.8 billion users, or 40 % of the world's smartphone users. As iOS users gain access to the RCS, these figures could rise even higher.
A better user experience
Communication between Android and iPhone users has so far been challenging. While communication in Finland has largely moved to WhatsApp, the rest of the world still uses SMS, MMS and RCS messages. When iOS users send picture messages to Android users, they are delivered as MMS messages, which can incur additional charges. With RCS, communication between Apple and Android users will become seamless, which may also attract operators to adopt RCS.
What should businesses know about iPhone RCS support?
The arrival of RCS on iPhones will initially focus on consumer-to-consumer messaging (P2P messaging) and may not have an immediate impact on business-to-consumer messaging (RCS Business Messaging). However, this announcement will increase the visibility of RCS and may attract the interest of businesses and customers.
Infobip has reported that the number of RCS messages on their platform will increase by 358 % in 2023, indicating that customers want a more versatile mobile messaging experience. The arrival of RCS on the iPhone could lead to more operators adopting RCS, reaching both Apple and Android users.
”It is especially noteworthy for businesses that in Finland, RCS business messaging can already be used on Android phones using Elisa subscriptions. It is crucial that brands start to gather experience of RCS messaging and the possibilities it offers now. Thus, as RCS usage grows, companies will be ready to take full advantage of the benefits of RCS messaging.”
- Lasse Lohikoski, Quriiri.
RCS in brief
RCS, or Rich Communication Services, is a more advanced version of SMS and will become an important part of the future of mobile communications for businesses. RCS messages are more visual and offer a more pleasant and fluid interaction.
Key features of RCS messages:
- Verified sender information
- Branded messages
- Sending high-quality images, videos, audio, GIFs and maps
- Carousel with capacity for up to 10 product cards
- Proposed functions and buttons
Benefits of RCS for businesses
RCS enables the delivery of visual, branded and interactive content directly to customers' phones. This can significantly improve conversions, open and click-through rates. According to Google, up to 74 % people are willing to click or otherwise interact with a company through RCS.
RCS offers businesses many benefits by improving communication, increasing interaction and enabling new ways of serving customers. It allows companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors and build stronger relationships with their customers. RCS is not just a technical upgrade, it opens up new opportunities that can have a positive impact on business development.
Would you like to know more about how your business could benefit from RCS? Read more From the RCS or contact us, we are happy to help.
