announced Friday that it’s launching Rich Communication Services (RCS) messaging for Android phones on Sprint. If you ’s Messenger app, you’ll be able to flip the feature on get real-time typing notifications, high-resolution photo sharing, read receipts, other features. is supporting the new Universal ofile, which lets RCS services inter-operate between carriers regions. The switch may already have been flipped by the time made the announcement, as an Android lice report included screenshots from some Sprint users who were already being notified about the change. If you’re one of the lucky ones to get the upgrade, you’ll apparently have to disable battery notifications, then you’ll be able to toggle on a setting to “enable enhanced features.” says it’s partnered with 58 carriers manufacturers, which means that RCS could eventually hit a subscriber base of 4.7 billion people. The company’s purchase of be is a key part of this effort, which is to build a universal platform for advanced messaging that any carrier can support. ’ll be sure to keep tabs on the major U.S. carriers to see when they’re planning to jump aboard. Verizon support would also be key, considering that partnered exclusively with Big Red to sell the xel in carrier stores. The impact on you: It’s RCS, not lo, that will bring the ubiquity of iMessage-style features to all. The reason iMessage works so well has such wide adoption is twofold—it’s the default messaging app, it seamlessly supports both SMS more advanced iMessage features. RCS has a similar approach, can bake those type of helpful features like typing notifications messaging over -Fi without the need to sign up for another messaging service.
