Source: Future Publishing / Getty
Yes, “blue bubble envy” is real, and Google feels Apple is capitalizing on it.
According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Google is accusing the company that Steve Jobs built of “bullying” and using it as a deliberate strategy to make Android users look and feel like the bottom of smartphone users on its iMessage platform.
It’s no secret that iPhone users rub it in the faces of Android smartphone users that iMessage has a bunch of cool features while constantly clowning “green bubbles” they receive from text from an Android phone. The report states that Apple is well aware of this and is using the fact that its phone and messaging platform has become some sort of status symbol among smartphone users and is using it to its advantage to win over potential smartphone customers.
Following the release of the report, both the Android team and Google’s head of Android, Hiroshi Lockheimer, have responded to the matter. “iMessage should not benefit from bullying. Texting should bring us together, and the solution exists. Let’s fix this as one industry,” Android’s official Twitter account tweeted.
“Apple’s iMessage lock-in is a documented strategy. Using peer pressure and bullying as a way to sell products is disingenuous for a company that has humanity and equity as a core part of its marketing. The standards exist today to fix this,” Locheimer said on the social media platform.
The Verge reports that Apple at one point did consider making iMessage available on Android devices but ultimately decided not to with Apple executive Phil Schiller would “hurt us more than help us.” Craig Federighi, another Apple executive, kept it all the way real, stating, “iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove [an] obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.”
While Google does have a point, we have to point out the company would benefit immensely from Apple making iMessage available on Android phones. The Verge also reports that Google has been pushing Apple to support RCS messaging, which is poised to replace SMS and already has the support of other major US carriers.
We are interested to see how this plays out, the smartphone wars are honestly ridiculous, with plenty of reports touching on the sad fact iPhone users are snubbing potential partners because they use Android-based smartphones.
You hate to see it.
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Photo: Future Publishing / Getty
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