Google’s iPager: A mockery of Apple’s SMS Reliance

Google has recently launched a new ad campaign that ridicules Apple for using outdated messaging technology when texting with Android users.

Yes, again!

The ad features a fictional device called iPager, which Google describes as a device that “uses outdated messaging tech” like Apple does. The iPager is a parody of Apple’s iconic products, such as the Macintosh, the iPhone, and the iPod, but with a retro design and limited functionality.

The ad highlights the problems that Apple causes by using SMS and MMS, which are communication protocols that date back to the 1990s. These protocols do not support features such as encryption, group messaging, high-resolution media, read receipts, and real-time viewing, which are common in modern messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and WeChat. Google claims that these problems could be solved if Apple adopted the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol, which is designed as a successor to SMS and MMS.

Google’s ad campaign is part of its ongoing effort to persuade Apple to support RCS on its devices. Google has launched a website called Get The Message, which explains the benefits of RCS and urges iPhone users to request the feature from Apple. Google has also used billboards, social media campaigns, and other ads to get Apple’s attention and to try to convince iPhone users to switch to Android.

Here’s the link to the advert by Google:

However, Apple has shown little interest in adopting RCS so far. Apple already offers its own messaging service called iMessage, which works exclusively between iOS and macOS devices. iMessage supports many of the features that RCS offers, such as encryption, group chats, stickers, and animations.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that “RCS is not a priority for Apple”, and that he does not hear users asking for it. He also suggested that iPhone users who have problems texting with Android users should buy their friends iPhones instead.

It is unclear if Apple will ever support RCS on its devices, or if Google will succeed in convincing iPhone users to switch to Android. For now, the green bubble remains a symbol of the divide between the two platforms, and a source of frustration for many users who want to communicate across them. Google’s iPager ad is a humorous attempt to mock Apple’s stubbornness and to promote its own solution, but it may not be enough to bridge the gap.

Let’s talk, marketing!

It all started when Samsung mocked Apple for the headphone jack for iPhone 7. Google is carrying that strategy now. Samsung has a history of making fun of Apple’s products and features in its ads, especially the iPhone.

This is what they say, Comparative advertising.

Comparative advertising is a marketing strategy that involves presenting a product or service from your business as being superior to a similar product or service from a competitor.

The Apple and Google mockery is an example of comparative advertising, as both companies are trying to show their products are better than their competitor’s. Google is promoting its own RCS protocol, which is compatible with Android devices and offers rich media and interactive features. Google’s goal is to persuade iPhone users to switch to Android, or at least to pressure Apple to adopt RCS.