In a surprising move, Apple has announced that it will adopt the RCS (Rich Communication Services) messaging standard, bringing iMessage-style features to messaging between iPhone and Android users. This decision comes in response to pressure from regulators, as well as competitors like Google and Samsung. Apple believes that RCS will offer better interoperability for cross-platform messages compared to SMS or MMS. However, iMessage will continue to be the primary messaging platform for iPhone users, while RCS will replace SMS and MMS. Apple assures users that iMessage is more secure and privacy-friendly than RCS, and it will work on further improving the security and encryption of RCS messages.
https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/16/apple-rcs-coming-to-iphone/