British consumer electronics brand Nothing has announced that it will soon roll out the Nothing Chats app that will support iMessage chats on its Android flagship, Nothing Phone (2). The application was developed in collaboration with Sunbird, which also has an app that offers iMessage compatibility.
“Nothing is the first mobile company to solve one of the biggest frustrations between Android and iOS users. Nothing Chats, powered by Sunbird, allows you to message other phone users directly from your Nothing phone via blue bubbles,” Nothing said on the website.
Blue bell on the Nothing Chats app (Source: Nothing)
The Nothing chats app also offers RCS messaging, in addition to iMessage features like live typing indicators, voice notes, and full-resolution media sharing. Read receipts, message responses, and replies won’t be available at launch, but the company has promised that such features will be available in the coming months.
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Nothing said setting up the chats app with iMessage requires users to sign in with their Apple ID. It added that the chats are encrypted end-to-end for privacy.
The company has confirmed that the app is still in testing phase and will be rolled out on November 17 for Phone (2) only in the US, UK and EU via the Play Store. However, it is expected to launch on other Nothing devices and in other regions including India in the coming months.
Recently, Google, along with other European telecommunications companies, wrote a letter to the European Commission seeking to designate the iMessage service as a ‘core platform service’ under the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA). Google has repeatedly criticized Apple for not implementing RCS, which enables cross-platform messaging support. Currently, iMessage is limited to Apple’s ecosystem and does not allow sharing high-resolution media, voice notes, etc. with other platforms.
