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Is this Apple’s secret weapon that could force Android users to buy an iPhone?

Published Jan 29th, 2015 12:00PM EST
iMessage vs. Android

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There are many reasons why Android users switch to iPhone, and vice-versa, but Apple may have a secret (or not-so-secret) weapon that could pressure some Android fans to considering a move to the other side. No, it’s not Apple Pay, an exclusive iPhone 6 feature that’s heavily marketed by various banks in the U.S., further helping Apple market its 2014 iPhones. It’s actually a stock iOS app that has been hiding in plain sight for years.

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An Android user started an interesting discussion on Reddit on the matter, saying that he’s considering an iPhone “over a single app.”

“iMessage. One app. This one. Freaking. Messaging. App,” user ownage516 wrote. “Before I say anything, let me preface this by saying I love Android. It’s amazing. Two months ago, when I was repeatedly kept on pressing the ‘system updates’ button, I was ecstatic when I saw the Android 5.0 update; the “sweetest” OS ever. And like candy, I couldn’t get enough.”

Ownage516 further explained that he’s a college student, and he’s often left out of the conversations people have in Apple’s iOS Messages app using iMessage.

“On numerous occasions, when my friends, study group, cousins, etc., wanted to make a group and told them I had Android, a soft, collective groan would be heard,” he said. “For them, that groan lasted for a few seconds, for me, their groans had mounted upon the mountain of the countless other groans I heard.”

“When I joined Android, it truly felt limitless. Now, I have felt like I have reached a ‘limit’. There’s no solution to my problem. But it’s so stupid…I would be leaving Android over one app. This one app that seems to be the bane of my problems,” ownage516 concluded. “Perhaps I’m over reacting, and I’m pretty sure a ton of people around here can relate.”

There are plenty of chat apps that are available on iOS, Android, and other platforms, some of them having even more users than Apple’s iMessage does, so it’s clear that people who want to stay in touch using instant messaging have plenty of alternatives at their disposal, rather than the default apps on their mobile OS of choice. But there’s no denying iMessage is a very popular solution for iPhone and Mac owners, and Android users are indeed often left out of the fun.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.