RCS can best be understood as the next layer on top of SMS. Messages include images, buttons and read receipts, where the conversation moves closer to what you’re used to seeing in apps. With RCS Business Messaging, this is systematized so that businesses can send messages from a verified sender and manage the dialogue through options, flows and automated replies.
SMS still plays a major role. It works everywhere and requires no special setup. That’s why it rarely makes sense to choose one over the other. In practice, you build a single experience where RCS is used whenever possible, and SMS handles the rest. This ensures both reach and a better experience wherever the technology can support it.