Something is
definitely going on behind the curtain. Hopefully, we'll benefit.
It doesn't seem that long ago that Samsung was planning to continue developing their own OS & go their merry way. However, they seemed to perform a 360 & get closer to Google instead.
I'm a realist and unfortunately reality, our reality in this world, leans towards what's best for a company, not the consumer. So my realistic view and it's not dismissing yours is that we won't benefit. It's one less bit of competition. Because think about it, who else has access to JIBE servers other than Google? Nobody, except Apple supposedly in the future. Even that I feel like they will snake their way out of as usual last minute.
Don't disagree with pretty much you said, now if Samsung could get all carriers in the US to support RCS as one not individually and come up with iPhone RCS chat support I'm right behind it but until then Google's message app will do .
Well yeah haha it will "have" to do because it's the only option left in the table. As mentioned above, Samsung was the only other company who had access to JIBE, so however much Google paid Samsung to kill support effectively left one player with no competition in the RCS eco-system. Short of the courts intervening, Google will not open the RCS API or servers to 3rd parties as we hoped. If Samsung, who was doing it right, and an OEM for that matter gets shut out, what chance do any independent developers have of gaining access to RCS.
This is a power play to be the ONLY option, which you mentioned. Use Google Messages "because it will have to do", not necessarily for everyone because they want to.
I'm saying this as someone who loves Android but sees the light dimming. I said this before but Google used to be the cool, rebellious kid, that's not the case anymore.
Android is so fractured and broken as a whole with bad decision going back to when Material was introduced that it almost needs a Windows 11 like (love it or hate it) refresh/relaunch. Google, the very company that mandates and writes the rules on Material can't even adhere to it in their own apps. Every app of theirs is like walking into a different room (Picture the movie 'Winchester'. The house is Android, each app is a room in the house). Each room has its own demons locked away. Moving out of the movie itself but keeping the reference;
If the Ghost can't be put to rest, it (the app) is bulldozed down and a new one put in its place that's worse than the previous.
Possible but unrealistic to happen ;
Android updates could be simplified to last beyond the promised updates OEMs provide but they don't because then no money. Android is already modular, make it more modular. Google creates a universal foundation on which the manufacturers only need to merge their propriety blobs vs basically recoding the entire OS and voila, Android for everyone (provided the hardware can handle it). Apple does it, granted they have fewer devices to work with but they keep those little bastards updated forever. I hate Apple but have to give them credit for that.
We are in a position where we have 1 of 3 options.
1) Accept the way Google does things and have no alternatives for certain things.
2) Hope the EU, and recently the US for once, (since they are equally as money hungry but at least their greed is a win for us), steps in and forces Googles hand.
3) Pray for a third player in the game. Highly unlikely unless efficient emulation can be performed on the fly until it establishes itself enough for developers to want to code native apps. (Here comes the realist again); Then we wait for them to become corporate d-bags and ruin everything that was good and we have a second Google.
Except for Option 2 I don't see things changing for the better, unless they get rid of that CEO of theirs and restructure.
( I probably should just the microphone.)
it could but they don't , why 
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram