Late yesterday, Google and Huawei both announced an agreement where by the Chinese manufacture will start integrating the RCS-powered Android Messages app into their upcoming devices. The move means that Huawei will abandon their current messaging app in favor of Google’s for a richer user experience.
With Android Messages and RCS messaging, HUAWEI devices will offer a rich native messaging and communications experience. Features such as texting over WiFi, rich media sharing, group chats, and typing indicators will now be a default part of the device. Messages from businesses will also be upgraded on HUAWEI’s devices through RCS business messaging from Google.
Huawei also announced that they will be integrating with Google Duo for video calls directly from Messages via carrier’s ViLTE services.
In addition to Messages on their smartphones, Huawei also announced that they will be working with carriers to rapidly deploy RCS messaging by offering the Jibe RCS cloud and hub to their existing carrier customers as well as potential new ones. Huawei is one of the biggest carrier network equipment suppliers in the world.
The statements from both Google and Huawei indicated that the integration of Messages would be done “in the coming months”. It is likely that their new lineup of phones, which are expected to be announced at Mobile World Congress (MWC) next month will have the new integration first. As to if it will be retroactively done to the current lineup of phones from Huawei is unclear. It is also unclear if the change impacts Huawei’s budget brand Honor.
