T-Mobile to Partner Up with Google TV, to Shut Down its Live Features on April 29

T-Mobile and Google are announcing a massive partnership on Apr. 3, with the carrier agreeing to showcase a suite of Google's services on Android phones sold on the carrier's network.

T-Mobile and Google TV merge

The list includes officially supporting Google's Android Messages with RCS apps on all of T-Mobile's Android phones, removing T-Mobile's very own TV services for Google's YouTube TV, showcasing Google One as the default backup service, and expanding the support and the sales of Google hardware, like Pixel.

T-Mobile and Google stated the carrier has the most Android smartphone customers in the US.

With this massive partnership, those customers will have a phone that is more likely to showcase native Google services instead of less-well-supported services from the carrier or manufacturer.

According to PCMag, it is also a massive win for Google, which will finally see another US carrier besides Verizon take a real shot at promoting the Pixel line of phones.

The Pixel sales in the US have not reached any type of real critical mass, though they have done better since Google started selling less-expensive versions like the 3A and 4A. Early on, Verizon was the premier partner, but it never materialized into big numbers.

However, the biggest news is probably that T-Mobile is winding down its Live, Live Plus, and Live Zone services in favor of YouTube TV.

T-Mobile customers get $10 off that service, and there will be different other offers, including three months free of YouTube Premium.

For messaging though, it is yet another step forward in the long and harrowing journey to normalize the next-gen RCS standard across the United States, as per Geek Wire.

In January, some strange backroom dealing meant Samsung's Galaxy S21 devices shipped with Samsung Messages as the default in the country, while most of the rest of the world got Android Messages.

Samsung phones on T-Mobile will use Android Messages as the default in the future, as will every other Android phone T-Mobile sells.

Google stated that the switchover will happen before 2021 ends.

Google's update

Google is also giving a small update on its ongoing effort to support secure end-to-end encryption for RCS on Android Messages. It reiterated that the rollout for beta testers already started and that it will continue throughout the year.

Fully encrypted chat for 1:1 messages for RCS is only supported inside Android Messages, so T-Mobile's decision to make it the standard will mean that more people will have it made available, 9to5Google reported.

Google and T-Mobile are also announcing plans to create a messaging business together. That is a reference to RCS's ability to be used for business chat, just as you can with iMessage or WhatsApp for some businesses.

It is one of the things that originally seemed like it might be a driver for adoption since there is money to be made on the backend as businesses pay for the service, but it has not reached its potential yet.

T-Mobile is adopting Google One's cloud storage as the default backup service for Android phones. Not like with TV, it does not appear there will be any discounts on offer.

Google refused to disclose the financial terms of this deal. Google and T-Mobile already have a pre-existing relationship, as T-Mobile is the network that supports Google's MVNO, Google Fi. The deal does not affect anything for Fi customers.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Sieeka Khan