So it looks like Google Hangouts may soon be adding SMS to their platform:

Included within the list of permissions for Hangouts for Android are requests to read and send text messages (as Google+ user Kenny Strawn noticed). That Google is already asking for permission to do these things is an indication that support may be coming, since the app doesn’t appear to use a device’s text messages at this point.

Will this pose a threat to iMessage? Find out more about the story at The Next Web.