[cageface]

Looks to me like where Apple is heading is offering some kind of "Apple Plus" subscription that bundles all their services, including iMessage. I predict that over time this will evolve to encompass more platforms. So iMessage will be available for Android but not for free.

[srwx]

That's fine with me, I'm not suggesting privacy should be free but they can't pay me enough to use their OS or hardware. I would however entertain the idea of using their services if they are available on my hardware choice.

[cageface]

You’re likely to get your wish. I think Apple has realized that they need to offer their services on non Apple platforms if they want to continue to grow. We’re seeing some early signs of this already.