The long ongoing standoff between iMessage and RCS messaging for Android has certainly been a hot topic of discussion, especially in the past couple of years. As such, a lot of different developers have tried integrating iMessage compatibility into software-based solutions designed for android, although none have really taken off, at least up until this point. With that in mind, Nothing recently announced that it was working on an app to bring iMessage services and compatibility for Nothing Phone 2 users – the announcement was made by company CEO, Carl Pei via an official video uploaded to nothing’s youtube channel.
This software implementation will be known as “Nothing Chats”, and Nothing says that the app will be the first end-to-end encrypted messaging solution that aims to address inter-platform issues between Android and iOS messaging. According to the announcement, the app will be available starting on November 17th via the Google Play Store for Nothing Phone 2 users.
Text messages sent using the app will be delivered as “blue bubbles”, in contrast to the usual “green bubble” texts that an iMessage user will typically receive from an Android-based device. Nothing says that its new chats app “aims to break down communications barriers related to messaging platform incompatibility and the social segment that becomes associated with it as a byproduct.” Carl Pei states:
“At Nothing, we strive to bridge the gaps between people and technology. We understand that the blue bubble vs. green bubble dilemma, especially in North America – although seemingly ridiculous – is real. Nothing Chats allows for freedom of communication between anyone regardless of their brand of smartphone – which is how it should be. We want to remind consumers that they do have a choice when it comes to device selection and that their daily behaviors should not be dictated by any one company.”
Nothing Chats is currently in beta and also offers RCS functionality, in addition to the stated iMessage features, which include P2P and group messaging, as well as high resolution file sharing, read and delivery receipts. The company adds that more features will be integrated in the future.
With that being said, Nothing has partnered with Sunbird in developing the Nothing Chats app. Sunbird is a US-based technology company that specializes in cross-platform Android and web messaging services. The app uses Sunbird’s architecture, which provides end-to-end encryption for added security.
In terms of availability, Nothing Chats will be available for download on the Google Play Store for Nothing Phone 2 users in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, EU, and other European countries such as Norway and Switzerland. At the moment, there’s no word if the service will make its way to the Nothing Phone 1 or other Android brands.
It would be amazing however if the app were to be made available for more devices in the future. As such, it is nice to see a mainstream brand finally offer a solution towards the RCS and iMessage. compatibility issue.
