Nothing Chat: How To Send iMessages With An Android
Bazaar Arabia explains why messaged from your Android using friends may start to appear in blue on iMessage…
Nothing Chat: Bazaar Arabia shares everything we know here…
The running joke between blue chat bubbles and green chat bubbles on the messenger application has long been cited as a reason never to leave the Apple ecosystem. But what if we told you that this was not going to be the case for long?
It seems that every day, new phones reach the market, and tech companies Nothing and Sunbird have created a communication stream between the Android and iOS ecosystems, so maybe your decision of phones just got a little easier.
Nothing Chat: How To Send iMessages With An Android
Despite the availability of cross-platform text services such as WhatsApp, Nothing recognises that a considerable number of individuals choose standard texting as their primary means of communication with friends and family. The identification of this choice is a main pillar of Nothing’s Mission Statement; “messaging services are dividing phone users”, and the company desires; “to break those barriers down.”
Sunbird, which operates its own iteration of the iMessage-compatible messaging app for Android users, is currently in beta testing, will be revolutionary for homogenising communication aesthetics between Apple and Android devices. However, according to Sunbird CEO, Danny Mizrahi, via the Company’s YouTube; “for the next few months, the exclusive means to access Sunbird is by owning a Nothing Phone (2)”, as of its inaugural iteration.
The Nothing Phone 2 is priced at $599 (Dhs 2,200) in the USA, and Dhs 2,499 via Nothing’s UAE Website. Although the company has an existing phone, the Nothing Phone 1, this messaging service will not be functioning with its Operating System (OS) at the moment.
According to the company’s official website, to integrate iMessage within Nothing Chats, users must first obtain the Nothing Phone 2. Although the process may not be the most straightforward to be rid of yoiur green text bubbles, users can also anticipate numerous native iMessage features, including real-time typing indicators (the three jumping dots) on the chats. The functionality of the system operates by linking the user to a remote Mac Mini computer through a created, or existing Apple ID, which means that you will be texting through an email address rather than a phone number, but texting none the less.
While it may not be the most streamlined method to enter Apple’s texting ecosystem, it is a creative way of breaking down barriers within tech communication. And while the green vs blue text bubble dilemma has been a long standing joke among iPhone users, this development highlights that access to the iMessage feature is desirable. Be that for its aesthetics, or the inclusive element of the Apple Ecosystem – sunbird currently has 150,000 Android users waiting for access to the feature…
Is this allowed?
There has been a larger conversation within the European Commission since September on whether the enormity of iMessage necessitates its compatibility with other messaging applications under the EU’s Digital Markets.
According to The Washington Post, despite the app not receiving Apple approval, it is not breaking any American laws. In contrast to the iOS version of BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) in 2013, which is the other standing example of the fusion of competitive messaging services involving iMessage. The BBM application was both sanctioned and developed by BlackBerry, and approved on the Appstore by Apple.
Despite concerns about Apple’s potential intervention, The Washington Post also asserts that Nothing and Sunbird’s CEO’s maintain that their application is in alignment with Apple’s core ethos of heightening user experience. As of right now, both companies are unconcerned about potential action from Apple.
Is Nothing Chats Available In The UAE?
Nothing Chats will be available on the Playstore in the Canada, USA, UK and EU from Friday November 17, and is currently in beta testing. With the attention the idea has garnered from the international tech community, labelling it as a groundbreaking communication app, it is most likely that the team is eager to expand their reach soon.
Check back soon for more details…
Lead Image Courtesy Of Nothing via @Nothing/Instagram.