I’m not a fan of the “war” between Android and Apple when it comes to SMS/texting. The rest of the world doesn’t use SMS/RCS/iMessage as much as WhatsApp and the like, so the US is pretty much lagging behind everyone else on this anyway.
That being said, I have to admit Android did a good job with this!
Thye are free now. Sms used to be a “per text” charge. Phone plans had “100 txt free/month, then $.05/each” deals, along with “300 free minutes/month.” This went on for years.
It was during this time that other countries started using “data only” apps that didn’t have per message fee, which was their killer feature, and they stuck with them.
Charging for SMS was of course brutal profit seeking. The messages have always been embedded in the largely empty “where am i” pings that cellphones have to always be sending to towers to work at all. They were 100% free for phone carriers to send and receive.
They aren’t, as they require you to pay a monthly fee with a carrier to receive SMS. Data-only plans do not receive SMS.
Roaming charges also apply. As a Canadian, it costs me $14-16 per DAY to receive a text if I leave the country.