Apple blocks Google Voice App to please AT&T
28 Jul2009
From reputable source we came to know that Apple had begun to pull out all Google Voice applications from the App Store, the reason claimed is that they “duplicate features that come with the iPhone”. Sources claimed that Apple has blocked Google’s official Google Voice application itself from the App Store. This means Google Voice will no more be present at the App Store.
A Google Spokesperson commented as follow:
We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users — for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers.
AT&T is expected to be behind this restriction. Google Voice offers users to send free SMS messages and cheap long-distance calls over Google Voice’s lines which scares the AT&T. The best thing is that it also makes it trivial to switch to a new phone service, because everyone calls the Google voice number anyway. Carriers have known about Google Voice for a long time, but there has still been some hassle associated with actually using the service. Smartphone apps like GV Mobile remove many of those hassles, which is why AT&T is keen to keep them off the iPhone where Google already has official apps for BlackBerry and Android.
GV Mobile’s developer Sean Kovacs says that the app was personally approved last April by Phil Schiller – the senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing. Kovacs also said that Schiller called him to personally apologize for the delay in initially getting the application approved.
Google Voice is the kind of service that can actually have a positive impact on user’s life, and not in a frivolous, entertainment-related sense. It makes it easier to connect with people, and to manage those connections. Apple can point to the App Store’s 50,000 apps all ot wants, but still Google Voice is truly a groundbreaking.
Apple is trying to limit what users can and can’t run on their mobile phone, whose marketing was largely based on extensibility.
View Comments to Apple blocks Google Voice App to please AT&T
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July 31st, 2009 at 5:00 pm
[...] to my mind. Yes you are right: one potential reason for getting rid of iPhone is because of the rejection of Google Voice app by Apple. Michael Arrington of TechCrunch stated this reason for quitting iPhone. His words [...]
Joe White
August 1st, 2009 at 5:16 am
I am an American living in France, where iPhones are (relatively cheaply) available on several mobile networks and also (expensively) without a network contract. I just got my Google Voice account and my U.S. contacts can easily leave voicemail transcriptions; when I travel to the U.S. I can use all the Google Voice features to allow my phone calls to follow me, whatever phone is handy. I was considering getting a French iPhone account and buying a non-AT&T U.S. SIM card for my frequent trips to the U.S. With Apple’s decision to block the Google Voice App for iPhone, for now I will stick with my BlackBerry.
Muhammad Ali
August 1st, 2009 at 10:17 am
Thnx for responding to us. We can only hope that your experience with BlackBerry would prove advantageous
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Mobile browsers are still kind of crude if you compare it to the desktop browsers we use on PC.-~`