Verizon has recently confirmed to that it will be launching RCS Chat on the Pixel 3 and 3 XL on December 6th. This launch for Chat on Verizon is quite earlier than we were expecting. A few weeks ago, A Verizon executive indicated that support for Chat would come in “early 2019.
RCS is the text-messaging standard set to replace SMS for Android phones it supports features that you would expect from any text-messaging client, including typing indicators, high-resolution images and video, and better group chat. Unfortunately, it does not have another features that you’d want in a text-messaging client end-to-end encryption for privacy.
RCS is also Google’s central strategy for offering a better messaging to Android users, in effect replacing Hangouts, its predecessors, and Allo. All of those text messaging apps had promising starts yet failed for reasons too numerous to get into here but you can read all about the history if you like. Bottom line, Google is not trying to compete directly with the likes of iMessage, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger with its own app anymore. Instead, there’s Chat.
Now, Verizon’s implementation of RCS Chat will be compatible with other carriers when they begin to roll it out as it’s based on the “Universal Profile.” Unfortunately, that support is starting to feel a little slow in coming. Google’s own cell phone service Google Fi doesn’t support it yet. Other carriers have implemented their own proprietary versions of RCS and have promised to update to the Universal Profile.
In a statement Verizon said: Verizon and Google will be rolling out enhanced messaging (RCS) in the Messages app on Google Pixel 3 and Google Pixel 3 XL beginning this Thursday, December 6th. This messaging service brings, for example, typing indicators, very large group chats and the ability to transfer large files between the owners of these smartphones.
