This news is very bad. Google shouldn't implement features that are outside of the scope of RCS, because then they'll not be compatible with Apple's implementation.
They should propose new features to be embedded in the standard.
Which new features are you referring to? Are you enrolled in the beta version of the app?
This is how my keyboard looks within Google Messages app. You can disregard the square with the number one in it, that's just for selecting which sim card I'll be using.