Just stop it already Google. Stop it.
Another year another Google text/mms/chat client, this one called “Chat,” an RCS messaging client. This according to an exclusive on The Verge.
We’ve pretty much said goodbye Google Talk (Google Chat,) to hangouts (unless you’re Enterprise,) to the messaging client, to Google Voice SMS (and it never got working MMS for the most part,) Allo’s being put on hold, and yet another Google chat app will be out there.
It won’t be Google Chat as it’s carrier-based, not a google service. As it’s carrier based it’ll happen when they get around to it. Two chat clients will be able to data each other, if the other party doesn’t have chat they’ll SMS. Pretty much the same thing that happens with iMessage on the iOS platform.
The default Android Messages app will get new features (which may vary by carrier). For the end user it’s a better texting and MMS client. And unfortunately they’ll get the experience when their carrier gets around to implementing it. Which may be this year, may be next.
Besides 55 carriers/operators, they have to work with 11 OEMs and two OS providers to get this out there as one unified experience.
Actually it’s probably a good thing if they manage to get it out there, although I think it could have been implemented via any of the existing names without seeing like yet another soon to be abandoned name.
Hopefully if they can get a solid competitor to iMessage or Samsung’s new chat they can go forward and push end to end encryption and throw in a video chat into the client, however chances of that starting out of the gate with any carrier are probably slim to none.
[The Verge]
