[pmarreck]

> as an android user I really do get cut out of group message convos due to not being on imessage

Well, that's the drawback of having an Android I guess, at least in those spaces (I also inhabit one). The evidence of the disjoint relationship between a product space that competes on price and one that competes on quality. /satirical-elitist-shrug-with-smirk

But seriously, didn't Google try at least 10 different ways to roll out their own iMessage competitor and SMS eclipser, and failed every time? This is not all Apple's fault, here.

> Even my parents have issues and frequently try to send me large videos

Yeah, my S.O.'s parents kept trying to send videos from their Androids to our iPhones and they come in as tiny thumbails. I FINALLY got them onto a Whatsapp group text to exchange videos and photos over, although they still miss out on LivePhotos, which is a favorite Apple feature of mine.