[microtonal]

This aspect is ignored, because it's clear that Apple blocks third-party clients to maintain its dominant position in the US (social unacceptability of green bubbles among teens).

If cost was the problem, they could offer a subscription.

[ankit219]

It's pretty clear why they don't want an android iMessage app.

In this case, what beeper enables (if successful) potentially is to use Apple's infra for future communication between android to android phones, or android to iMessage groups, while on Apple's infra and dime. Beeper will likely collect a fee for it as well. Thats not a position Apple would want to be in.

[microtonal]

Like I said, if that was the issue, Apple could just charge $10 per month for iMessage users that don't have an Apple product linked to their account.

The only reason is to bully people who fear social exclusion into buying an iPhone.

(I am an iPhone/Mac user, so I am not trying to bash Apple from the other side of the 'divide').

[dzhiurgis]

Or Google doesn’t want one and wouldn’t let Apple release one unless they allowed third party Siri replacement in iOS…

[sbuk]

So I'm imagining Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp on my iPhone? And the appeals to emotion really have got to stop.

People do not by iPhones because of iMessage. I'll totally accept that some, even a majority, buy them as a fashion item, in a similar way that Samsung S series phones are, but iMessage will not be a significant driver for many.

[standardUser]

Exactly, iMessage is not a product they want to sell or spread around, it is a marketing tool that loses it's potency once it's not exclusive.