Samsung and Google team up to expand RCS Messaging availability on Android

Samsung and Google want to make history together and announce a partnership that will bring enhanced messaging experience and interoperability between Samsung Messages and Android Messages.

Today's announcement mentions that both companies will work together to expand RCS Messaging availability on Android. Rich Communication Services (RCS), is a next-generation messaging standard that's meant to replace SMS and MMS standards. Unlike SMS, RCS allows for text messages with an unlimited number of characters. Also, it enables users to share images, videos, sound clips, emoji, and stickers.

Basically, RCS Messaging could easily replace many of the instant messengers that we're using these days and, more importantly, it will come pre-loaded on all Android devices as a native service.

The partnership between Google and Samsung is meant to ensure that messaging clients like Android Messages and Samsung Messages will work seamlessly with each company's RCS technology, including cloud and business messaging platforms.

Moreover, Samsung announced it will include native support RCS messaging in all new Samsung Galaxy smartphones, starting with those on a set of carriers that have or will soon launch RCS. Current phones, starting with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, will be updated with RCS messaging support as well.

On a side note, Samsung is the second major company that teams up with Google to bring RCS Messaging on its smartphones after Huawei.