←back to thread

Apple Invites

(www.apple.com)
651 points openchampagne | 9 comments | 04 Feb 25 16:21 UTC | HN request time: 1.097s | source | bottom
Show context
maratc ◴[04 Feb 25 16:48 UTC] No.42934917[source]▶
It's always nice to see some first-party apps from Apple[0], but historically the "iPhone-only social networking" hasn't been very successful — iTunes Ping or Game Center haven't been a huge hit, while group messaging in iMessage has only gained some traction within the US and virtually non-existent almost everywhere else.

---

[0] One can even say "first first-party party app" in this case :)

replies(6): >>42934960 #>>42934980 #>>42935032 #>>42935104 #>>42938478 #>>42938822 #
Jeremy1026 ◴[04 Feb 25 16:51 UTC] No.42934980[source]▶
Fortunately you don't need everyone to be on iOS to reply. So you can send your Android using friends invited and they'll just get a weblink.
replies(4): >>42935051 #>>42935140 #>>42935375 #>>42935658 #
Mindwipe ◴[04 Feb 25 16:54 UTC] No.42935051[source]▶
It still requires people to read a text message.

It may as well be delivered via carrier pigeon outside the US.

replies(2): >>42935391 #>>42944310 #
1. barbazoo ◴[04 Feb 25 17:12 UTC] No.42935391[source]▶
Genuine question, is SMS text delivery unreliable where in certain countries?
replies(4): >>42935714 #>>42939297 #>>42939802 #>>42942326 #
2. ASalazarMX ◴[04 Feb 25 17:33 UTC] No.42935714[source]▶
It's unneeded because phones have affordable/free access to the Internet these days, SMS is a relic of the 20th century.
replies(2): >>42938637 #>>42938699 #
3. cyberax ◴[04 Feb 25 21:03 UTC] No.42938637[source]▶
And the alternative on iOS is...? What exactly?

RCS is a flaming trash dump of failure.

replies(1): >>42938902 #
4. ghaff ◴[04 Feb 25 21:07 UTC] No.42938699[source]▶
Apple may not be exactly jumping in joy about it but, even if it's mostly only useful for people in the US, they probably don't see that as a showstopper either.
5. ZekeSulastin ◴[04 Feb 25 21:20 UTC] No.42938902{3}[source]▶
Other messaging platforms; the one most commonly cited seems to be WhatsApp.
replies(1): >>42941126 #
6. patrickkidger ◴[04 Feb 25 21:46 UTC] No.42939297[source]▶
I have a US number and live in Switzerland. At least for me, I only receive SMS messages whenever I visit the US -- the rest of the time they're just dropped and I'll never see them.

(Doesn't really bother me, my friends and I all use WhatsApp/etc. anyway.)

n=1 though, maybe this is some quirk of my phone provider.

7. astrange ◴[04 Feb 25 22:20 UTC] No.42939802[source]▶
Somehow they're unreliable just in the US. I had someone think I was mad at them because when I texted them to hang out it never made it. Had to remember to switch messaging apps.

I think they were on a cheap prepaid plan though.

8. cyberax ◴[04 Feb 25 23:55 UTC] No.42941126{4}[source]▶
On iOS? Don't make me laugh. Apple will die before they implement custom configurable messaging providers in iOS.
9. jandrewrogers ◴[05 Feb 25 01:35 UTC] No.42942326[source]▶
SMS text delivery has always been sporadically unreliable for me. The cases where the messages are delayed by several minutes or hours are almost as problematic as the cases where they never arrive at all.

It doesn't seem to be specific to any country, though some are worse than others. Definitely seems to be a "best effort" service everywhere.