Enhanced Voice Messages in RCS v3.1 with Added Codec Support for Clearer Communication
The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) has unveiled the RCS Universal Profile (UP) 3.1 update, bringing key enhancements to audio quality and service reliability. This latest update aims to make RCS messaging more robust and user-friendly.
Key Improvements in Audio Quality
The UP 3.1 update introduces full support for the xHE-AAC audio codec, enabling clearer, more natural sound for voice notes, ambient sound clips, and audio chatbot interactions. This codec also offers efficient audio compression that maintains high fidelity audio even at lower bitrates, improving quality without significantly increasing file size. Moreover, it ensures consistent playback quality across different devices and varying network conditions.
Enhancements in Service Reliability
The update also focuses on improving client-to-operator connectivity. It streamlines how RCS clients connect to their operator services by better integrating with OS-level push notification services, smarter onboarding processes, enabling RCS client applications to remain inactive and be woken up via push notifications, and reducing battery drain and improving performance when switching between mobile data and Wi-Fi. These changes lead to fewer failed message sends and more reliable messaging, particularly in poor network conditions or spotty coverage areas.
Additional Features in UP 3.1
The update also includes enhanced file transfer security, improved spam reporting capabilities, and support for deep links that allow conversations to open directly from links. These features build on the end-to-end encryption introduced in UP 3.0, advancing RCS towards a fully modern messaging platform.
In summary, the most notable updates in RCS Universal Profile 3.1 are the adoption of the xHE-AAC codec for significantly better audio message quality and connectivity improvements that ensure more reliable onboarding and messaging performance, even in challenging network environments.
The GSMA's v3.1 update focuses on media quality, service flexibility, and global scalability. This update was announced via the GSMA blog by Tom van Pelt. Encryption capabilities for RCS were added in an update after the RCS v3.0 update's arrival, with Google being the one to bring such protection to users originally. The v3.1 update aims to make the RCS experience more reliable, especially in challenging coverage zones.
References:
- GSMA Blog: Introducing the RCS Universal Profile 3.1
- GSMA: RCS Universal Profile 3.1
- TechRadar: GSMA announces RCS Universal Profile 3.1 update for better audio quality and reliability
- Android Central: RCS Universal Profile 3.1 brings better audio quality and reliability to messaging
Technology and data-and-cloud-computing play crucial roles in the RCS Universal Profile 3.1 update introduced by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). This update leverages advanced technologies like the xHE-AAC audio codec for high-quality audio messages and cloud-based services for improved client-to-operator connectivity.
