The Official Android Thread Part XV: Time For Some Oreo!
- Thread starter The Underboss
- Start date
Very Stable Genius
#WeLostOurKarlssons
iMessage seems to be mostly a North American thing. My friends and family in Europe all use whatsapp, same in the Caribbean.
Yeah I mean if you don't use OSX there isn't even much reason to use it. I had iPhone for years and I never found much use for it. Never even used group chats or video calls on it (wasn't even aware you could do that) but I imagine it's incredibly limited since you need to have everyone using iPhone or it'll just send an sms.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Uh, what on earth are you talking about? You can send a normal SMS over iMessage. I have no clue what you're talking about, here. You don't only send messages to folks who have iMessage. That's my entire point. That's why it's such a great system. It's SMS and a seamless environment that goes across Apple's ecosystem (I can send SMS/iMessage texts on my phone, laptop, or tablet).
Did you think that you can only message folks who had an iPhone with iMessage?
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Yeah . . . ? And? It's a messaging service. The versatility and cross-platform use of it are the aspects that most people want.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
See, and that's exactly my point. It's all over the place outside of the Apple ecosystem. There's no continuity. It's unfortunate and is one of the key reasons that I'm not switching.
Nope, in fact I said that if you go back. You sms people if they don't have an iPhone. You're just texting which defeats the purpose. Once again I had iPhone for a long time.
People don't want sms. I've had people tell me not to send a text because they have limited texting. Everyone doesnt have it yet.You see its not cross platform in that case because it's not compatible with Android (or Windows, but that goes without saying). Especially these days with data heavy messaging people don't want to message over sms.
Also another real life situation limited by sms. For people on pay as you go plan their service goes out and it can be a few days before they're able to respond over an sms chat as opposed to whatsapp.
Last edited:
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
I have no idea how you can claim "it defeats the purpose" when the purpose that I am talking about is to have a seamless messenger program across all your devices. Which is what iMessage is. iMessage is literally compatible with Android since it sends a SMS.
You're talking about something that doesn't exist at all. I am talking about something that very clearly exists and works. I'd love a program that goes above and beyond it all, but that's a completely different discussion.
I have no idea how you think what you are saying even remotely relates to what I am talking about.
Last edited:
Fair enough, still I think that the fact that it uses sms heavily is q limiting factor. Once again, people don't want to use sms. I almost never use it if I can help it
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
I don't know anyone that cares one way or the other about using SMS. Never met a single person who didn't want to use it. Perhaps some of those who are more into tech may feel that way, but the average person? I doubt it. I truly don't know a single Apple user who cares one way or the other about SMS messaging. They know that Apple friends are blue and everyone else is green. Either way? Their message goes through. Apple killed it with text message forwarding on the iPad and Mac. I do probably 50% of messaging through my phone and the other 50% split between my iPad and laptop (depending where I am at). When I am at home, I'd say a good 90% of messaging goes from either the laptop or tablet.
What Google really needs to do is make a messaging service that is seamless. Apple did it and it's why so many people stick with Apple. It's likely why I will continue to stick with them even at my middling feelings about the current product line (other than the iPad, which I think is pretty easily the best tablet on the market right now).
This honestly shouldn't be that difficult to do. It just seems that Google has ADHD when it comes to development, seemingly. Hangouts should've been their answer. I remember my Android friends telling me that it was going to be their version of iMessage. Such a shame it never got far enough.
MikeyMike01
U.S.S. Wang
iMessage sends as regular SMS if the person does not have iMessage, and as an iMessage of they do. In other words, he wants to able to talk to absolutely everyone from his Mac/iPad/iPhone.
All other options (hangouts, et. al) require both parties to have it. That's a losing proposition.
It's almost unheard of for anyone to having limited texting in America. Almost every plan comes with unlimited minutes and SMS, even very cheap ones. It's the data that is not.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Yeah, I can honestly say that I've never heard of anyone complain about SMS re: data or texting limits.
Once again, I've had iPhone for a long time I know it sends sms it they don't have iMessage. iMessage is just in the regular texting app.
It's not as uncommon as you think. A lot of cheaper services do not have unlimited texting and pay as you go is very popular where I am where people aren't able to return texts for a few days a month
Oh yeah aside from texting limits another problem with sms is that you need to use data for sending gufs/videos/images etc, even if you're connected to regular Internet. Yes, yes everybody doesn't do this but lots of people do and it can affect your bill if you have limited data
But for people genuinely wanting that unified experience on Android I do believe Facebook messenger (Yeah Yeah I know) does do that. It can be your primary texting app and receive sms and so on. I don't know how the windows messenger runs so that would kind of be the sticking point.
But for people genuinely wanting that unified experience on Android I do believe Facebook messenger (Yeah Yeah I know) does do that. It can be your primary texting app and receive sms and so on. I don't know how the windows messenger runs so that would kind of be the sticking point.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
Perhaps this is the case in Canada. I don't know anyone in the US that has issues with SMS. The inexpensive plans almost always have unlimited. Weirdly enough, my girlfriend was on a more expensive older plan with limited SMS until I switched her over onto one that was cheaper with unlimited SMS (and more data, unlimited minutes, etc.).
But you need data for everything. You need data to see that stuff regardless. So I don't see how a data issue means much, here.
Facebook Messenger is gimped to all hell. It's really not a solution to anything. This needs to come from Google.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
guinness
Not Ingrid for now
I installed Airdroid today on my laptop, can even be accessed through a browser. Not sure how well it would do with pictures, but texting worked fine.
Still prefer the experience on my phone though, as Google's services just integrate better with their clients, and I can't text from my work computers anyhow.
However, I also discovered that the 7.1.1 update broke video calling on the Nexus 6P (just horrible echoing on both ends, either in Hangouts or Duo), so I'll have to wait for Google to fix it.
Led Zappa
Tomorrow Today
I use MySMS, which used to work with Apple until Apple made that impossible. As far as I can tell you can text and receive texts from people with Apple, you just can't use MySMS with Apple products.
**** Apple.
MySMS has a web interface. It will only hold your history if you sign up for Premium, which is $10 a year, so if you switch phones your history on the web will be gone. I paid the $ because I wanted to mirror between 2 phones. Nice app.
**** Apple.
MySMS has a web interface. It will only hold your history if you sign up for Premium, which is $10 a year, so if you switch phones your history on the web will be gone. I paid the $ because I wanted to mirror between 2 phones. Nice app.
MikeyMike01
U.S.S. Wang
I have used this, and it does work as well as advertised, but I don't feel comfortable sending all of my text messages through some no-name company.
BigMac1212
Registered Insominac
Led Zappa
Tomorrow Today
They are not a no name company. Sign in is available via Google SSO. If you are concerned about what you send or post on the internet don't post or send it. Your phone companies have it too.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
I just don't see a reason to be beholden to a third party. This is something Google itself should've done ages ago. It's such an ADHD company, though.
I think you have a lot of Apple folks thinking of switching but despise the non-Apple messaging apps. This would've been the perfect time for Google to make a real strike.
Led Zappa
Tomorrow Today
So you don't use apps that aren't made by Apple? Seems like a strange and limiting stance to take.
Hunter Gathers
The Crown
I don't use messaging apps not made by Apple because they are always going to offer the most seamless form of messaging across different machines. Why would that be limiting? There's nothing like iMessage out there by a third party on either side.
I think you went a step too far in that assumption sine we are only talking about messaging apps.
