Just heard the inevitable, Apple had refused to approve official Google Voice application itself from the App Store, citing the fact that they “duplicate features that come with the iPhone”. The news hasn’t surprised many and was on expected lines after Apple last week changed the Terms and Conditions and blocked several Google Voice based applications like GV Mobile from their App Store.
A Google Spokesperson was quoted as saying:
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.
About Google Voice: Users of Google Voice are able to select a single U.S. phone number, from various area codes. When a Google Number is called, any or all of the user's phones may be set to ring. Which phone(s) ring can be set based on the calling number, based on contact group (e.g. Family, Friends, Work, etc), and/or based on time of day (e.g. disabling a home phone during business hours and routing calls to mobile or business number). The service also features centralized voicemail and indexable, automated voicemail transcription, accessible by PC or phone. Google Voice incorporates long-desired abilities, such as automatic blocking of known telemarketer numbers, the ability to switch lines in mid-call, different voice mail greetings based on the caller, SMS forwarding, and even call recording.
Its not hard to guess carriers like AT&T, Verizon etc are all wary of challenges posed by Google Voice as it allows users to send free SMS messages and get cheap long-distance over Google Voice’s lines. It also makes it trivial to switch to a new phone service, because everyone calls the Google Voice number anyway, which is why AT&T is keen to keep them off the iPhone. Carriers have known about Google Voice for a long time, but it wasn’t until recently that it began accepting new users, and there has still been some hassle associated with actually using the service.
Gives me more reasons to ignore Apple and wait for a decent Anaroid phone to hit the market [I am not actually a fan of HTC Hero or G1 due to their ageing hardware and Nokia N97 touchscreen has failed to amuse me].
Update: Google CEO Eric Schmidt Resigns From Apple Board
Apple today announced that Dr. Eric Schmidt, chief executive officer of Google, is resigning from Apple’s Board of Directors, a position he has held since August 2006.
“Eric has been an excellent Board member for Apple, investing his valuable time, talent, passion and wisdom to help make Apple successful,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Unfortunately, as Google enters more of Apple’s core businesses, with Android and now Chrome OS, Eric’s effectiveness as an Apple Board member will be significantly diminished, since he will have to recuse himself from even larger portions of our meetings due to potential conflicts of interest. Therefore, we have mutually decided that now is the right time for Eric to resign his position on Apple’s Board.”