As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
released.

So should they all have v18 now, and be capable of RCS chats (minus
encryption)? None of my contacts who I know use Apple are showing up as
RCS capable in Google Messages ...

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> Wrote in message:

> As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
> released.
>
> So should they all have v18 now, and be capable of RCS chats (minus
> encryption)? None of my contacts who I know use Apple are showing up as
> RCS capable in Google Messages ...

My wife has an iphone 14 which is 'up to date' on ios 17.7
She could opt for ios 18, if she knew and cared, but it's not
automatic - yet. My iphone 8 runs ios 16.7.10. It probably won't
get 17.
--
Remove numerics from my email address.

Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:
> As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
> released.

You know wrong. All compatible iphones are prompted to upgrade. It's up to
users to decide when.

> So should they all have v18 now, and be capable of RCS chats (minus
> encryption)? None of my contacts who I know use Apple are showing up as
> RCS capable in Google Messages ...

Apple is supporting both iOS 17 & 18 in parallel at the moment so users can
get all security updates in the newly released 17.7 without needing to go
to 18, yet.

Given Apple Intelligence isn't coming before 18.1 there's little reason to
upgrade to 18 just now for those who want the latest and greatest features.

Andy Burns wrote on Sat, 21 Sep 2024 10:54:26 +0100 :

> As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
> released.

Based on the atrociously primitive and horrendously inept update mechanism,
almost everyone who uses iOS holds off on updating the operating system.

I have more Apple devices than Android so, not surprisingly, I know how it
works, where you've already been told wrong things - but they're not far
off. To be clear, Dave Royal was correct but Chris was slightly wrong.

In iOS Settings > General is an option for "Automatic Updates" which can be
set to On/Off and if set to on, it can be further set to just "Download iOS
Updates" or to "Install iOS Updates" and since iOS 16, there's a further
option to install RSR's (which moved iOS, finally, into the modern world).

One of the main reasons an iPhone is the most exploited mobile device is
because up until iOS 16, Apple had to build an entire iOS release every
single time any change was made (even a single line or letter of code!).

This idiotic release mechanism was absurd it caused Apple to delay releases
to the point that even today, no mobile device is more exploited than iOS.
<https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog>

In addition, historically the iPhone slows down to the point of
unusability, sometimes for days, after a typical iOS release.

Worse, a lot of iOS releases are rushed affairs (see above reason why), so
most iOS owners have learned to hold off for as long as possible on
updates.

It gets worse (way worse, such as Apple is the only common operating system
supplier who only fully supports a single release, which is iOS 18 now),
which means that iOS 17 is definitely no longer fully supported by Apple.

> So should they all have v18 now, and be capable of RCS chats (minus
> encryption)? None of my contacts who I know use Apple are showing up as
> RCS capable in Google Messages ...

As you must be aware, Apple does the least it possibly can do to support
RCS (where their own executives were deposed in the Epic case when their
emails showed that to be the case) - but the EU forced Apple's hand.

Even so, Apple didn't really implement the full RCS feature set, as you are
likely well aware - but did they implement enough for your free MMS use?

*Apple's Update Decision-Bad News Confirmed For Millions Of iPhone Users*
<https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2024/09/17/apples-ios-18-update-new-warning-for-millions-of-iphone-15-iphone-16-users/

'As hundreds of millions of iPhone users update their devices
to iOS 18, tinting their home screens and navigating their
new Photos app, the reality is that this update is more
about what's missing than what has been released.

No Apple Intelligence-at least not yet, and another gaping
omission that has also been confirmed.

This bad news impacts RCS-the biggest non-AI update coming
with iOS 18, that brings rich messaging features to stock
iPhone-to-Android messaging for the first time, but which
The Washington Post warns, leaves "chats with Android friends
still [with] security and other compromises that Apple
could have avoided."

But the more serious issue is hidden from sight.

"In some important ways," The Post says, "Apple's messaging app
remains stuck in the flip-phone era, which undermines everyone's
message security." The version of RCS Apple is using is not encrypted.'

Notice above how little of RCS Apple implemented, but I wonder, Andy, if
Apple implemented "enough" of RCS to get you the free MMS that you seek?

Dave Royal wrote on Sat, 21 Sep 2024 12:17:23 +0100 (GMT+01:00) :

> Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> Wrote in message:
>
>> As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
>> released.
>>
>> So should they all have v18 now, and be capable of RCS chats (minus
>> encryption)? None of my contacts who I know use Apple are showing up as
>> RCS capable in Google Messages ...
>
> My wife has an iphone 14 which is 'up to date' on ios 17.7
> She could opt for ios 18, if she knew and cared, but it's not
> automatic - yet. My iphone 8 runs ios 16.7.10. It probably won't
> get 17.

The main reason iOS always has far more zero-day holes than Android and why
iOS is the most exploited mobile operating system on the planet is that
Apple only fully supports one release & one release only. Just one release.
<https://screenrant.com/apple-product-security-update-lifespan/>
<https://hothardware.com/news/apple-admits-only-fully-patches-security-flaws-in-latest-os-releases>
<https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/10/apple-clarifies-security-update-policy-only-the-latest-oses-are-fully-patched/>

So anyone who is stuck with a phone older than the iPhone XS may as well
throw it over the next bridge because it's already jam packed with bugs.

Bugs which Apple will never fix.

*Which iPhone models will get iOS 18*
<https://www.zdnet.com/article/every-iphone-model-that-can-be-updated-to-apples-new-ios-18-public-beta-and-which-ones-cant/>
iPhone 15
iPhone 15 Plus
iPhone 15 Pro
iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 14
iPhone 14 Plus
iPhone 14 Pro
iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 13
iPhone 13 mini
iPhone 13 Pro
iPhone 13 Pro Max
iPhone 12
iPhone 12 mini
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro Max
iPhone 11
iPhone 11 Pro
iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
iPhone XR
iPhone SE (2nd generation or later)

But even for the few iPhones that are fully supported with iOS 18, there is
some bad news because of how nasty Apple is to their own customer base.

In addition, because Apple mocks the EU by waiting until the very last
moment to implement customer-focused interoperability, the EU finally got
fed up & started mandating that Apple begin to care about their customers.
<https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-eu-gives-apple-six-months-to-make-cross-device-interoperability-easier-140030456.html>

This is because Apple has purposefully withheld new features from European
users, including Apple Intelligence, iPhone Mirroring on the Mac and
SharePlay Screen Sharing.

As a result of Apple's anti-consumer stance, the European Commission will
tell Apple the measures it has to take for cross-device interoperability
and the EU says that Apple is expected to follow their rules this time.
<https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-19/apple-faces-eu-warning-to-open-up-iphone-operating-system>

On 2024-09-21 02:54, Andy Burns wrote:
> As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
> released.

Why would you ever think that?

>
> So should they all have v18 now, and be capable of RCS chats (minus
> encryption)?  None of my contacts who I know use Apple are showing up as
>  RCS capable in Google Messages ...

On 21.09.24 11:54, Andy Burns wrote:
> As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
> released.
>
> So should they all have v18 now, and be capable of RCS chats (minus
> encryption)? None of my contacts who I know use Apple are showing up as
> RCS capable in Google Messages ...

Doesn't work here either.
But I do not care at all.

--
"Roma locuta, causa finita." (Augustinus)

Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> wrote:
> Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote:
>> As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
>> released.
>
> You know wrong. All compatible iphones are prompted to upgrade. It's up to
> users to decide when.
>
>> So should they all have v18 now, and be capable of RCS chats (minus
>> encryption)? None of my contacts who I know use Apple are showing up as
>> RCS capable in Google Messages ...
>
> Apple is supporting both iOS 17 & 18 in parallel at the moment so users can
> get all security updates in the newly released 17.7 without needing to go
> to 18, yet.
>
> Given Apple Intelligence isn't coming before 18.1 there's little reason to
> upgrade to 18 just now for those who want the latest and greatest features.

Interestingly, that fuckwit claims on a separate ng that what I've said is
crap, yet is too cowardly to reply directly on here.

As an aside owning many items just amplifies your ability to be wrong.

Chris wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
>>> As far as I know iPhones all upgrade to the latest iOS as soon as it's
>> released.
>
> You know wrong. All compatible iphones are prompted to upgrade. It's up to
> users to decide when.
I know next to nothing about Apple.

Anyway, it seems users will have to enable RCS in order to use it,
because why not protect the green bubble walled-garden?

<https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-enable-rcs-messaging-on-iphone-to-text-android-users-3482571/#2>

Andy Burns wrote on Sun, 22 Sep 2024 14:21:11 +0100 :

> I know next to nothing about Apple.

I know Apple but I know next to nothing (actually, nothing) of RCS.

> Anyway, it seems users will have to enable RCS in order to use it,
> because why not protect the green bubble walled-garden?
> <https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-enable-rcs-messaging-on-iphone-to-text-android-users-3482571/#2>

Andy,

Can you help me understand RCS based on the last sentence in that link?

"Apple warns that user identifiers are exchanged for your carrier
and their partners to authenticate your device and provide a
connection for RCS messaging. "These identifiers could include
but are not limited to your IMEI, IMSI, current IP address,
and phone number. Your current IP address might also be shared
with other RCS users," the company notes."

It's long known that Apple murdered privacy (in other areas) but is this
sentence above about your loss of privacy only applicable to Apple's RCS?