> Blue bubble isn't really a thing ever mentioned in France either, not enough iPhone market share.

Nobody uses iMessage. People with iPhone use WhatsApp too.

The user experience of iMessage used to be subpar and now everyone has WhatsApp installed anyway, the feature set is the same and it works on all phone brands so nobody feels like switching.

Same in the UK. The fact that iMessage only works for iOS devices means it's a complete non-starter. What's the point in using a messaging app if you can't add all your contacts to a group? And if you're using a different app for group chats for this reason, then why not use it for 1-1 messaging, too?