iMessage for Android
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On Apr 7, 2013, at 9:08 PM, Eddy Cue wrote:
We really need to bring iMessage to Android. I have had a couple of people investigating this but we should go full speed and make this an official project.
Google will instantly own messages with this acquisition.
http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/04/07/rumor-has-google-close-to-buying-whatsapp-for-1b
On Apr 7, 2013, at 9:36 PM, Philip Schiller wrote:
And since we make no money on iMessage what will be the point?
On Apr 7, 2013, at 10:04 PM, Eddy Cue wrote:
Do we want to lose one of the most important apps in a mobile environment to Google? They have search, mail, free video and growing quickly in browsers. We have the best messaging app and we should make it the industry standard. I don't know what ways we can monetize it but it doesn't cost us a lot to run.
On Apr 8, 2013, at 7:04 AM, Craig Federighi wrote:
Do you have any thoughts on how we would make switching to iMessage (from WhatsApp) compelling to masses of Android users who don't have a bunch of iOS friends? iMessage is a nice app/service, but to get users to switch social networks we'd need more than a marginally better app. (This is why Google is willing to pay $1B -- for the network, not for the app).
In the absence of a strategy to become the primary messaging service for to bulk of cell phone users, I am concerned the iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove and obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.
- craig
On Apr 8, 2013, at 7:32 AM, Eddy Cue wrote:
Do you have any thoughts on how we would make switching to iMessage (from WhatsApp) compelling to masses of Android users who don't have a bunch of iOS friends? iMessage is a nice app/service, but to get users to switch social networks we'd need more than a marginally better app. (This is why Google is willing to pay $1B -- for the network, not for the app).
Keep making a better app. Our app is secure and private today. There's is not. We also need to be adding features to iMessage to keep it a leader - better group messaging, status, location, payments, etc.
In the absence of a strategy to become the primary messaging service for to bulk of cell phone users, I am concerned the iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove and obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.
If we think this way then we shouldn't do anything on Android. Android is huge and here to stay. I think we need to get Android customers using and dependent on Apple products. That is the best way to get them to consider our products in the future.
On Apr 8, 2013, at 7:37 AM, Philip Schiller wrote:
This sounds like the Safari on Windows strategy to me
That didn't work
I think the logic for iTunes on Android makes sense. Not iMessage.
On Apr 8, 2013, at 7:47 AM, Eddy Cue wrote:
The reason we lost Safari on Windows is the same reason we are losing Safari on Mac. We didn't innovate or enhance Safari. If you want to compete on something across all platforms, it needs to be the best. We had an amazing start on Safari and then stopped innovating. Now, we are starting to work on Safari again but look at Chrome. They put out releases at least every month while we basically do it once a year.
In the end, you will use the messaging app that lets you reach everyone not just iOS customers. So we lose messaging on our platform and Google will end up with another key asset on the Internet.
From: Philip Schiller
To: Eddy Cue
Cc: Craig Federighi, Tim Cook
Date: Mon, 08 Apr 2013 8:32 AM
iMessage was created as a feature of IOS that brings value to our iPhone users.
It makes no revenue and is funded by our product margins.
The idea that we should now get into the messaging business (what little there is of it) to fund an crds platform messaging apps out of our product revenues to defend against a Google/WhatsApp product is 180 degrees a different strategy. I don't understand the end game there.
Safari lost on Windows because a) we are not dedicated to being a great Windows browser developer and thus didn't innovate enough there and b) we spent $0 marketing a browser to Windows users. Google invested a ton in both engineering their browser on Windows and marketed the hell out of it.
[This document is from Epic v. Apple (2021).]
Further watching: The Wall Street Journal's Joanna Stern briefly discusses this email with Craig Federighi at WSJ Tech Live 2022
Previously: Phil Schiller to Tim Cook: "moving iMessage to Android will hurt us"
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