Clearly Apple uses iMessage to create a significant lock in effect in the USA. So, yes, as their main competitor, Google should want to attack the market share

Clearly Apple uses iMessage to create a significant lock in effect in the USA. So, yes, as their main competitor, Google should want to attack the market share of iMessage. It’s probably the biggest thing standing in the way of Android. Pushing a competitor with great interoperability between Android and iOS would make sense. I mean they clearly believe that they can do that by themselves in the US market but WhatsApp has the advantage of being able to lean of expatriates and people with contacts abroad as a steppingstone.