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Apple is finally bringing RCS messaging to the iPhone

Ding dong, the SMS is dead.

RCS offers typing indicators and read receipts, allows you to send longer messages, and supports higher-quality images and videos. It’s become the standard messaging protocol on Android phones as US wireless carriers fully adopted it over the past five years, but Apple has been stubbornly withholding support. Pressure campaigns from Google and Samsung to adopt RCS probably aren’t what pushed Apple past the tipping point.

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