iMail

Email is such a widely established service that Apple probably won’t risk messing with it. But what if your email was a little more like iMessage?

Users would have rich, interactive experiences similar to the Messages app. In addition to standard email features, iCloud users could send and receive iMail messages with screen effects, improved read receipts, and an “edit” option for recently sent messages. Developers could create integrations for stickers and GIFs. Finally, a refreshed Mail interface could let you pin your favorite contacts and conversations.

While it’s unlikely we’ll see changes in Mail, Apple is planning to add support for RCS by the end of the year. RCS is a 2008 messaging protocol that’s standard on many other devices. Despite its issues, the protocol will enable read receipts, typing indicators, and emoji reactions — and improve reliability — between most Android and iOS users. Apple says it will not support Google’s proprietary end-to-end encryption, instead opting to find a standard encryption solution for RCS as a whole.