Apple to Support RCS, Rumours of an iPhone 16, and more

Raise your hand if you thought Apple would decide to support RCS texting so that you could talk to people in the green bubble better!

That was definitely the biggest story of the week, but there was a lot more. For example, there were rumors about when users in the EU will be able to sideload apps, changes that are coming to iOS 18, and a nice change in watchOS 10.2 that lets you switch between watch faces. Also, Black Friday sales are now in full swing. Keep reading for more information on these stories and more!

Apple is going to use the RCS messaging standard so that it works better with Android devices.

This week, Apple shockingly said that it would add support for the Rich Communication Standard (RCS) standard "later next year." This will make it easier for Android devices to send and receive messages.

Apple has long been against accepting the replacement for SMS and MMS messaging, even though Google and Android device makers have put a lot of pressure on the company to do so. It's not clear what has changed Apple's mind, but it could be that the company is still facing pressure from regulators on different parts of its business.

Even though RCS is not the same as iMessage, it will make it easier for Apple and Android users to talk to each other. For example, it will make it safer to send photos and videos with higher quality, send audio messages, and make group chats much better.

It is said that the iPhone 16 series will have these 17 new features:

Even though it's only November, we've heard that next year's top-of-the-line iPhones might get a lot of improvements.

The Pro models will have bigger screens, the cameras will get better, and other changes will make 2024 a good year for people who want to buy a new iPhone.

App Sideloading for iPhone Users in the EU in the First Half of 2024: According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, iPhone users in the EU will be able to download apps stored outside of Apple's official App Store to follow European rules.

Gurman said in the most recent issue of his Power On newsletter that Apple will add a "highly controlled system" that will let EU users install apps that are stored somewhere else. Apple is also said to be making changes to Messages and payment apps as part of the changes. These changes will probably happen through a localized iOS 17 update.

Apple has deals on AirPods, iPhones, iPads, and more right now for Black Friday.

Even though Black Friday isn't until less than a week from now, deals have been going strong since October. This means that you can get great deals on Apple goods and accessories all year long.

We're always looking for the best deals on Apple goods and accessories, so be sure to check back with us throughout the rest of this month and into December.

Apple's iOS 18 with AI Apple executives have called it "ambitious and compelling."

Because of big new software features and designs that are being worked on, Apple thinks that the iOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, and tvOS 18 updates coming out next year will be "ambitious and compelling." That's what the most recent information from Mark Gurman, a writer for Bloomberg, says.

Even though not much is known about the details, it is thought that generative AI is behind many of the changes. For example, there is a smarter version of Siri that makes the virtual assistant work even better with operating systems.

With watchOS 10.2 Beta, you can change Apple Watch faces again with a swipe.

Apple got rid of the option to quickly switch watch faces with a swipe as part of watchOS 10, which changed the way the Apple Watch works.

Some users were glad that they could change looks without meaning to, but others were annoyed that they now have to go through more than one step to do so.

Apple is trying to please everyone with the release of watchOS 10.2 beta this week. The swipe action to change watch faces is back, but users can choose not to use it. The public should be able to get watchOS 10.2 next month.