iPhone emoji gap finally bridged by Google

Google has started to widely roll out a new Google Messages feature for beta users that allows the Android messaging app to correctly interpret emoji reactions sent from the iPhones. According to The Verge, this feature appears to be live in version 20220121_02_RC00 of the app, but not for all users. Although it didn't work on every phone, the feature worked on an Oppo Find X3 Pro, which is more than can be said for when the feature initially started appearing last November.

The feature fixes a long-standing issue that can affect SMS chats between iPhone and Android users.

When an iPhone user reacts to an Android message with emoji, the Android user typically sees this reaction sent as an entirely separate text message, resulting in confusion and lots of unnecessary clutter.

For example, previously, the thumbs down emoji would have been represented by a separate text message for Android users, saying a user 'disliked' the message. The new beta app now treats emoji reactions the same across both operating systems.

As per The Verge, there are inconsistencies between how reactions are represented on each operating system. The thumbs up and thumbs down reactions are similar across both platforms, but iOS's 'haha' reaction turns into 'face with tears of joy' on Android, while 'heart' becomes 'smiling face with heart-eyes'.

'Exclamation marks' become 'face with open mouth' while 'question mark' is 'thinking face'. These are minor differences, but they could lead to significantly different interpretations of a reaction's meaning.

Judge dismisses lawsuit over Apple iPhone water resistance claims

(Reuters) - A federal judge on Wednesday dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit accusing Apple Inc of misleading consumers about how resistant its iPhones are to water exposure.

Apple's advertisements had made various claims about the iPhone's resistance to damage when submerged or otherwise exposed to water, including that some models could survive depths of 4 meters (13.1 feet) for 30 minutes.

The named plaintiffs, two from New York and one from South Carolina, claimed that Apple's "false and misleading" misrepresentations let the company charge twice as much for iPhones than the cost of "average smartphones."

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan said the plaintiffs plausibly alleged that Apple's ads could mislead consumers, but did not show their iPhones were damaged by "liquid contact" Apple promised they could withstand.

The judge also found no proof of fraud, citing a lack of evidence that Apple intended to overstate its water resistance claims, or that the plaintiffs relied on fraudulent marketing statements when buying their iPhones.

Spencer Sheehan, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said his clients are disappointed with the decision, and no decision has been made whether to appeal.

Neither Apple nor lawyers for the Cupertino, California-based company immediately responded to requests for comment.

In the quarter ended Dec. 25, 2021, iPhones accounted for $71.6 billion, or 58%, of Apple's $123.9 billion of net sales.

The case is Smith et al v Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 21-03657.