Text messaging has evolved over the years, where we first started out with SMS, followed by MMS that allowed us to send photos and videos, and then later we got a bunch of messaging services that relied on the internet that allowed us to send messages to people around the world for “free”.
However despite the advent of such services, SMS and MMS have continued to stick around, but it is expected that these services will eventually be replaced by RCS (Rich Communications Services). We know that some companies have been working to support the platform, and now it looks like Apple could be interested in it too.
This is according to a post on Reddit (via 9to5Mac) which allegedly shows an image of a slide during the most recent GSMA RCS event back in October last year, in which it revealed that Apple is/was in discussions about bringing RCS to iOS devices. This is a bit surprising given how much Apple loves its proprietary tech, which in this instance is its iMessage platform.
However Apple supporting RCS means that it would make it easier/better for Apple users to communicate with non-Apple users in a future where 2G and SMS might eventually be phased out. These discussions do not necessarily guarantee that iOS devices will support RCS, but at the very least it seems Apple is open to the idea.