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T-Mobile Rolls Out Next-Gen Messaging on Galaxy S7, S7 Edge

Rich Communications Services (RCS) seeks to do away with SMS and replace it with a new standard that works across carriers and allows for modern features.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Some T-Mobile customers are in for a messaging upgrade.

T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray tweeted on Friday that the company is rolling out a software update that delivers universal Rich Communications Services support to select Android devices. As Ray pointed out, the standard allows for "100MB transfers and 100-person group chats."

On the down side, T-Mobile is only rolling it out to the two-year-old Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge at the moment, so if you've upgraded to a newer Android handset like the Galaxy S9, you'll have to wait. Ray said T-Mobile plans to bring RCS Universal Profile support to more devices "over time."

As for when it will arrive on Pixel devices, Ray said "we've connected with Google and we'll interconnect our solutions as soon as Google is ready. It'll happen, but no ETA as of yet."

RCS, for the uninitiated, seeks to do away with SMS and replace it with a new standard that works across carriers and allows for modern features like lengthy messages, group chat, high-resolution photo sharing, read receipts, and typing indicators. Think iMessage, but for Android.

A total of 55 global carriers (including T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T), 11 phone makers (Samsung, LG, HTC, Lenovo, Asus, Huawei, ZTE, etc), and two operating system makers (Google and Microsoft) have committed to support RCS Universal Profile, according to the GSMA, a mobile trade group handling RCS specifications. Sprint in 2016 became the first carrier to support RCS.

Google has been making a big push for the standard. The web giant in April halted its work on Allo to focus on bringing RCS to Android Messages, the platform's default texting app.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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