The trouble with not having MMS in the US is that it's a "lowest common denominator" type service: not everyone uses it, but everyone expects you to be able to use it. People will be surprised if they send you a photo or group message and you don't see it, and notably, they also can't tell if you were able to see it or not.

Its the only reliable way (for me) to have group chats with people. Every third party service is platform dependent - everyone must have an iphone, or everyone must be on facebook, etc etc. The only thing that everyone actually has in common is that they all have a phone number.

Yes, there are probably more people globally using matrix but MMS is the defacto messaging app here since it's free if you have a phone (especially since people on iPhones think Apples texting app is MMS.)

Also, like I said: you can already use matrix on Linux.

MMS is the only open, federated, chat system that everybody has access to.

Given that Purism wants to provide a fully open source alternative to the Facebook/Whatsapp walled gardens, I'd say that providing the already existing, open, interoperable chat solution that everybody already has is pretty important.

When Matrix comes to my phone, I gain the ability to message with zero of my normal non-tech friends. When MMS comes to my phone I gain the ability to message with ALL of my normal, non-tech friends -- even those who "don't use" MMS. Why? Because, every phone plane includes MMS.

Yes. All of my friends use MMS.