WEBVTT 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:01.480 Thanks for watching TechWiki. 00:00:01.480 --> 00:00:02.760 Click the subscribe button, 00:00:02.760 --> 00:00:05.040 then enable notifications with the bell icon 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:07.540 so you won't miss any future videos. 00:00:07.540 --> 00:00:08.920 If you're an iPhone fan, 00:00:08.920 --> 00:00:11.480 one advantage you've had for a long time 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:13.680 in your fanboy battles with Android users 00:00:13.680 --> 00:00:16.040 is the existence of iMessage. 00:00:16.040 --> 00:00:18.400 It's not only faster than traditional SMS, 00:00:18.400 --> 00:00:20.680 but it also allows you to add tons of effects 00:00:20.680 --> 00:00:22.080 and options to your texts 00:00:22.080 --> 00:00:25.200 if your chat partner is also on iOS. 00:00:25.200 --> 00:00:28.240 Android's default Messenger app is, by contrast, 00:00:28.240 --> 00:00:30.140 your basic SMS client. 00:00:30.140 --> 00:00:33.440 And if you've ever received so much as a small photo over it, 00:00:33.440 --> 00:00:35.600 you know that it can make 56K motives 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:38.660 from the ancient 1990s feel fast. 00:00:38.660 --> 00:00:41.360 But all of this is about to change 00:00:41.360 --> 00:00:44.520 now that Google is set to push an SMS alternative 00:00:44.520 --> 00:00:45.480 to the masses. 00:00:45.480 --> 00:00:48.740 It's called Rich Communication Services, or chat. 00:00:48.740 --> 00:00:52.040 Not to be confused with the instant messaging components 00:00:52.040 --> 00:00:55.060 of Hangouts that people often call Google Chat, 00:00:55.060 --> 00:00:57.700 or any of the other galactically confusing 00:00:57.700 --> 00:00:58.240 brand names that Google has been using 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:02.440 for text-based communication services over the years. 00:01:02.440 --> 00:01:06.200 The main idea behind chat is to add functionality 00:01:06.200 --> 00:01:08.360 that SMS doesn't currently support. 00:01:08.360 --> 00:01:11.900 Not only will it remove the annoying 160-character limit, 00:01:11.900 --> 00:01:15.260 but it'll come with plenty of other iMessage-like features. 00:01:15.260 --> 00:01:18.120 You'll be able to chat with multiple people in one session, 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:19.520 share videos and GIFs, 00:01:19.520 --> 00:01:21.280 see when the other party is typing 00:01:21.280 --> 00:01:24.480 and has read your message, share files, and more. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:26.580 And it'll work over a data connection 00:01:26.580 --> 00:01:27.700 instead of the much slower SMS. 00:01:27.700 --> 00:01:32.160 Unlike iMessage, though, which is a supplementary service 00:01:32.160 --> 00:01:33.980 provided by Apple's servers, 00:01:33.980 --> 00:01:36.300 remember your iPhone can still send normal SMS 00:01:36.300 --> 00:01:39.020 to your scrub green bubble friends, 00:01:39.020 --> 00:01:41.940 chat is meant to be a replacement for SMS 00:01:41.940 --> 00:01:45.620 and therefore has to be supported by your wireless carrier. 00:01:45.620 --> 00:01:48.060 And although Google appears quite serious 00:01:48.060 --> 00:01:49.980 about building its base of partners, 00:01:49.980 --> 00:01:53.300 adoption by mobile networks has been relatively slow. 00:01:53.300 --> 00:01:56.200 But like, why is Google getting involved with this 00:01:56.200 --> 00:01:57.160 in the first place? 00:01:57.160 --> 00:01:59.980 They have their own database communications apps already, 00:01:59.980 --> 00:02:03.160 so why aren't they focusing on those instead? 00:02:03.160 --> 00:02:05.640 Well, quite simply, they did. 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:07.160 But whatever the issues were, 00:02:07.160 --> 00:02:10.400 branding, bugs, a lack of enticing features, 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:11.620 Google's various chat apps 00:02:11.620 --> 00:02:13.980 haven't become hits with mobile users. 00:02:13.980 --> 00:02:16.960 In fact, Hangouts is going to become more enterprise-focused 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:17.980 in the near future, 00:02:17.980 --> 00:02:20.120 with Google conceding that competing alternatives 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:23.220 like Facebook Messenger have simply become more popular 00:02:23.220 --> 00:02:24.600 with smartphone users. 00:02:24.600 --> 00:02:27.000 I guess they just couldn't block Zuckerberg's store. 00:02:27.160 --> 00:02:28.160 Oh. 00:02:28.160 --> 00:02:29.720 So by backing chat instead, 00:02:29.720 --> 00:02:32.600 Google can make rich messaging an integral part 00:02:32.600 --> 00:02:35.600 of the Android experience for its billions of users. 00:02:35.600 --> 00:02:37.320 Even the ones who aren't tech savvy 00:02:37.320 --> 00:02:39.220 or don't think that they should have to 00:02:39.220 --> 00:02:41.600 install a third-party app for that, 00:02:41.600 --> 00:02:43.340 as long as the carrier supports it. 00:02:43.340 --> 00:02:44.640 And just like iMessage, 00:02:44.640 --> 00:02:46.600 if you send a message to a phone 00:02:46.600 --> 00:02:48.660 or through a network that doesn't support chat, 00:02:48.660 --> 00:02:51.100 the message will simply send as SMS, 00:02:51.100 --> 00:02:53.040 similar to the popular iOS experience. 00:02:53.040 --> 00:02:54.160 Sounds good then, right? 00:02:54.160 --> 00:02:57.140 So when can we expect to start chatting? 00:02:57.160 --> 00:02:59.520 Well, Sprint and T-Mobile in the United States 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:00.500 already support it, 00:03:00.500 --> 00:03:02.400 with carriers in the EU and Latin America 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:04.380 expect it to follow relatively soon. 00:03:04.380 --> 00:03:07.380 And Google says it's going to aggressively roll it out 00:03:07.380 --> 00:03:10.720 to the rest of the world over the next couple of years. 00:03:10.720 --> 00:03:13.500 But exact timelines will depend on the effectiveness 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:15.040 of Google's sales pitch to carriers 00:03:15.040 --> 00:03:17.980 that chat is a worthwhile investment for their customers 00:03:17.980 --> 00:03:19.980 because of its broad device support. 00:03:19.980 --> 00:03:21.480 And that's a pretty cool pitch 00:03:21.480 --> 00:03:24.000 because apparently it's not even out of the question 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:26.160 for Apple devices to support it down the road. 00:03:26.160 --> 00:03:27.160 But, right now, Google's sales pitch to Apple is that, 00:03:27.160 --> 00:03:29.140 what would that mean for iMessage? 00:03:29.140 --> 00:03:30.900 Personally, I have no idea, 00:03:30.900 --> 00:03:33.140 but don't let that stop you from engaging 00:03:33.140 --> 00:03:35.500 in the usual Android versus iOS flame wars 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:37.980 with an extra helping of baseless speculation 00:03:37.980 --> 00:03:39.980 down in the comments section. 00:03:39.980 --> 00:03:41.540 And speaking of baseless, 00:03:41.540 --> 00:03:44.400 are you skeptical of the justification ISPs 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:48.000 and advertisers use to keep an eye on your online activity? 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:50.620 Then check out Private Internet Access VPN. 00:03:50.620 --> 00:03:53.440 Not only does PIA work on up to five devices at once 00:03:53.440 --> 00:03:55.160 by hiding your true IP address 00:03:55.160 --> 00:03:56.720 and allowing you to bypass 00:03:56.720 --> 00:03:58.540 geo-restrictions and censorship 00:03:58.540 --> 00:04:00.640 by making you appear that you're connecting 00:04:00.640 --> 00:04:01.760 from somewhere else, 00:04:01.760 --> 00:04:04.280 it also blocks unwanted connections 00:04:04.280 --> 00:04:05.980 to help you prevent attacks, 00:04:05.980 --> 00:04:08.720 auto-block traffic if the VPN disconnects, 00:04:08.720 --> 00:04:10.840 keeps your data out of the hands of advertisers 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:12.900 and other snoops who are tracking your activity, 00:04:12.900 --> 00:04:14.400 prevents DNS leaks, 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:18.580 and even includes MACE, PIA's built-in malware blocker. 00:04:18.580 --> 00:04:21.020 They have apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Linux, 00:04:21.020 --> 00:04:23.000 woo, and a Chrome extension. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:26.820 And PIA has over 3,000 servers in 28 countries 00:04:26.820 --> 00:04:29.200 and does not log user activity. 00:04:29.200 --> 00:04:30.040 So what are you waiting for? 00:04:30.040 --> 00:04:33.680 Check them out today at the link below. 00:04:33.680 --> 00:04:34.920 So thanks for watching, guys. 00:04:34.920 --> 00:04:36.320 Like the crap out of this video, 00:04:36.320 --> 00:04:37.960 subscribe, and go to the comments section 00:04:37.960 --> 00:04:40.600 to tell us what subjects you want us to cover in the future. 00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:41.440 That's it.