> And since we make no money on iMessage what will be the point?
In case you ever get fooled into thinking Apple really cares about its users or their experience - they care as far as it makes them money. Then they don't care.
It’s bad business practice to put energy towards something that doesn’t serve your mission because you lose focus and discipline.
For the things they do invest in, Apple puts a lot of energy in the user experience because they believe that there are business benefits to doing so. This is true of most well-run companies. Generally speaking, our economic system works out well because the incentives of businesses align with the incentives of the consumer.
However I hear things are changing. Plenty of teens on Discord.
Neither is great but Android MMS is much better. And of course RCS is better still. And Google Messages let's you automatically upload videos to Google Photos and let you share them with a link. The affordances to send high quality video are significantly better on Android.
(I don't use any of the above, instead preferring to use Signal.)
Apple doesn't care about their users, except insofar as keeping users happy can make Apple money.
In cases where keeping users happy can't make Apple money, they don't care about their users.
Keeping Apple users happy when it doesn't make them money directly may have strategic importance (which is why iMessage exists in the first place)
Keeping Android users happy when it doesn't make them money is a distraction.
Thats why they have iTMS and Apple Music and Apple TV and iCloud ported to other platforms - because those front paid services.
I am sure Apple cares about its users or their experience and making money.