I missed in November that Apple announced it was adding support for RCS (Rich Communication Services) next year.
https://9to5mac.com/2023/11/16/apple-rcs-coming-to-iphone/
RCS is the successor to SMS and MMS that brings cross-platform read receipts, typing indicators, high-quality images and videos, and end-to-end encryption.
This likely is a concession to the EU, which is trying to force iMessage interoperability, but Apple is fighting on a technicality.
Apple today is the 90s Microsoft.