I’m likely wrong here but isn’t that a problem with SMS and not necessarily iMessage?

I can exchange MMS to other Android users (and it's MMS, not RCS) that aren't ridiculously compressed, so I've always assumed it was Apple.

MMS limitations stem from the carrier. They have different attachment size limits which affects how Messages will encode the content.

This is absolutely, unconditonally untrue. I can send a message to an Android user just fine. SMS is delivered as it is anywhere else. Pictures go through fine - my partner and I can, and do, regularly share pictures without any issue at all.

Why hyperbolize things and spread outright nonsense? To what possible end?

MMS in 2023 is not an acceptable fallback. We all have cameras capable of shooting amazing pictures and 4k movies.

The size limit destroys decent looking pictures and basically prevents movies from even being an option with how grainy they appear stretched out on our 4k screens.

This is ignoring all the other interactive elements that are just table stakes in any kind of messaging application that make SMS absolutely terrible in comparison.

If you do don’t like mms, don’t use it, there are tons of alternatives. I have half a dozen chat apps.

I experience the issues described when texting android users.

> Your messages are all screwed up when delivered to anyone not using an iPhone. Pictures and movies are basically destroyed and worthless.

Sure and it is absolutely obvious on my side because these contacts don’t show blue messages. Take that away and the situation turns worse because now I‘d have to guess.

Edit: don’t get me wrong - I don‘t send broken messages, I just contact them on other messengers instead.

It's obvious to you but not obvious to your average iPhone user which is why I get videos with 3 pixels sent to me repeatedly. On the flip side I can mms videos with acceptable resolution just fine. It's all just to try and keep people in the system, not because it's a better user experience.

Bullshit. AT&T limits MMS videos to 1 MB, Verizon to between 1 MB and 3.5 MB depending on the sender, T-Mobile/Sprint 1 MB to 3 MB depending. If you're getting "acceptable resolution" videos they're being sent over RCS.