No. I've read that Google is not allowed put iMessage-like features into the stock messaging app because it would run afoul of antitrust. Ironically, Apple can do this because they own everything.
This is silly and false. Google's default android Messaging app in the US on all carriers is Google Messages and it uses RCS to do exactly what you are saying they can't do.
What does that have to do with anything, though? Google Messages is available to any Android OEM that passes certification, assuming they want it. Certainly Messages wouldn't be a part of AOSP, as Messages isn't open source.
Google Messages is the stock messaging app, and contains iMessage-like features. AOSP is mostly irrelevant. It's not clear why iMessage-like features would be an antitrust issue for Google anyway.
Alright. Yes. now it is. This is all I've been trying to point out- is that there is a built in messaging app as part of AOSP. My recollection is that Google can't turn this into gMessage because then it would be distributed as part of the base OS and would require a Google account to use.
Now it's abandoned so it definitely won't be anything now.
Zero phones in the US ship with AOSP. 100% ship with Google Play Services. AOSP, in the US, is dead as far as any reality is concerned. China is different but Google wouldn't want to even be there.
It sounds like Google's way around this is what they've been doing for years at this point: slowly replacing AOSP builtins like the stock messaging app with separate, proprietary Google apps.
Right, I don't believe that's part of AOSP but is a Google app. I don't believe all phones ship with that though my Pixel does. Do Samsung phones ship with that?
Yup. What's open source now is basically a framework on which you have to build anything useful and, surprise surprise, the only company building that useful is Google.
How is that not monopoly behavior? Why don't they just put an iMessage alternative in Android at that point?