Apple Sued for Not Delivering Text Messages to Android Phone Users

A suit as been filed against Apple for not allowing text messages to get delivered to Android device users who switched from iPhone according to Bloomberg. The suit was filled by a former iPhone user who switched to Android and realized that his messages failed to deliver over a couple of days.

The suit which was filed in a federal court in San Jose, California reads as follows: 

Apple’s iMessage retains text messages sent from other users of Apple devices and won’t deliver them to her Samsung Electronics Co. phone running on Google Inc.’s Android operating system, Adrienne Moore said in the complaint filed yesterday in San Jose, California.

People who replace their Apple devices with non-Apple wireless phones and tablets are “penalized and unable to obtain the full benefits of their wireless-service contracts,” according to the complaint.

It is believed that text messages get stuck briefly or permanently if sent to someone that switched from an Apple device to a non-Apple device. Some have argued that this could be a deliberate act by Apple and ave refused to fix it benefits the company while others have counter argued that it could be a bug.

Whichever side one takes  in this issue, the reality is that a lot of people are facing this problem and would want Apple to do something about it. A victim of this issue had this to say.

I previously had an iPhone 5 and purchased a Galaxy S5 a few days after the release. I was wary of previous complaints about the issue so I made sure to turn off iMessage and log out of all my Apple accounts before making the switch. After switching I talked with a bunch of friends with iPhones who would try and message me. They told me one day it would go through as a text and the next it would send as iMessage, which of course I couldn't receive. Group messages I was a part of were even worse, as some messages would come through to me and others wouldn't. AT&T couldn't help and referred me to Apple. Apple made sure my number was not in their database and told me to update to the latest OS. After informing them it did not solve the problem they did not have any other solutions. I kept my phone for 10 days to see if the extra time would solve the issue, to no avail. I was forced to return the GS5 and revert to my iPhone. I feel this is something the Apple developers could fix in a heartbeat, but are in no rush as it benefits the company.

Do you think this is a deliberate issue or its actually a bug? We shall soon find out.