Apple pulling Google Voice-enabled iPhone apps

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 141
    aplnubaplnub Posts: 2,605member
    Apple and AT&T can go screw themselves over this. I just emailed out my new GV number and I use GV Mobile for my calling. I hope they get their ass run threw the media thrasher for this. Cydia, here I come.



    I love how they wouldn't put it in an email or help suggest what should be done. Where is the FCC when you actually need the sorry sob's?
  • Reply 22 of 141
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by fraklinc View Post


    Sh*t like this makes the iPhone pretty vulnerable. If microsoft was to mimic the iPhone OS and get rid of all these bullshit restrictions apple has impose, they will buried the iphone, just like they did with Apple back in the days. History is about to repeat itself watch and see.



    I'll agree with you on that. I hate giving one company too much control and Apple sure is controlling on the iPhone. If a Zune phone were to compete very close feature wise I would consider.



    Android is an alternative, but currently it requires a Google Account and puts services other than gmail etc.. as second tier on the device. Sure Apple requires an account, but they don't require MobileMe and as such don't have access to all your emails, contacts, calendars unless you want them 2. Thats the problem with Google and why I avoid it... they have access to everything if you use their service. They know your emails and do record them for their 'adverts' then they know what searches you use. Their analytics (which alot of sites use) then know what sites you visit and what products you buy or don't buy based on those adverts. They have a total profile of you with guesses required if you use all their services. I guess ironic that i'm posting this on an article about apps that use Google services being pulled.



    Thats why I will always use Exchange or similar with push technology because I control the server and control who has access to it and what happens to my data.



    For me it always has been about controlling my life, my data, my hardware. Always has been, and thats why i'm a proud jailbreaker and have always modified the phones I have including Windows Mobile devices to do what I want, not always want a corporation envisions.



    I'm not stuck to the iPhone and will take my money to the best and most innovative phone that is the also most open. Right now I think that balance is the iPhone, especially after 3.0. But I welcome more competition from any company including Microsoft.
  • Reply 23 of 141
    Apple knows or can negotiate terms when new technology comes into the market.



    Google has the upper hand here as they have most of the good Apps on the iPhone.



    It's not Apple or AT&T calling the shots here. It's Google.



    It was only a matter of time... Gee, I make a phone and you make a phone and I'm on your board of directors.



    Check Mate. Game to Google Android.
  • Reply 24 of 141
    wlow3wlow3 Posts: 2member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by yuusharo View Post


    I rarely, if ever, defend AT&T, but to their defense, the AIM application on the iPhone uses data-only, *NOT* your SMS package. The only time you're ever charged for SMS is when you use the messaging app, or receive a text message. Obviously, if you have AIM mobile enabled (where IMs are forwarded to your phone through SMS), then yes, you WILL be charged to use it.



    Nevertheless, I was charged for both incoming and outgoing text, and it says AOL Text beside the charge, not "messaging." AOL's AIM for iPhone specifically advertise that it lets you send *free* text messages to cell phones. Beside this, how can I be charged for sending *anything* to an iPod touch - it doesn't even have the native "Messaging" app; how can their be an outgoing AOL Text charge in this case?
  • Reply 25 of 141
    ipeonipeon Posts: 1,122member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPhone1982 View Post


    Apple knows or can negotiate terms when new technology comes into the market.



    Google has the upper hand here as they have most of the good Apps on the iPhone.



    It's not Apple or AT&T calling the shots here. It's Google.



    It was only a matter of time... Gee, I make a phone and you make a phone and I'm on your board of directors.



    Check Mate. Game to Google Android.



    Ya, Goggle has the upper hand. What a joke. In this arena they don't. Google does not know how to play the game. You have to outsmart the cell phone companies at their own game first. Give it a few more years and the iPhone will kill cell phone companies as we know it.
  • Reply 26 of 141
    yuusharoyuusharo Posts: 311member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPhone1982 View Post


    Apple knows or can negotiate terms when new technology comes into the market.



    Google has the upper hand here as they have most of the good Apps on the iPhone.



    It's not Apple or AT&T calling the shots here. It's Google.



    It was only a matter of time... Gee, I make a phone and you make a phone and I'm on your board of directors.



    Check Mate. Game to Google Android.



    Except that Google already submitted an official Google Voice application six weeks ago to the app store, and it was rejected along with everyone else. So, no, the one who has the upper hand on the platform is Apple.



    Not even Google has special treatment with them.
  • Reply 27 of 141
    str1f3str1f3 Posts: 573member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPeon View Post


    Ya, Goggle has the upper hand. What a joke. In this arena they don't. Google does not know how to play the game. You have to outsmart the cell phone companies at their own game first. Give it a few more years and the iPhone will kill cell phone companies as we know it.



    When it comes to Apple's own App Store of course they would have the advantage. But in terms of the cell phone industry overall it seems for now that Google has the clear advantage. You say that Google doesn't know how to play the game but they have Google Voice on Android. Android users can tether their phones for free because they can install apps outside their own App Store so carriers can't crack down.



    You say to wait a few more years as if customers are supposed to pay for a phone that has crippled apps versus it's competitors. Apple may have the better software but it's clear that Google has the upper hand.
  • Reply 28 of 141
    hill60hill60 Posts: 6,992member
    So will Google and the other developers put money in to maintain, upgrade and expand the mobile networks to give us, as consumers what we need?



    Companies like AT&T need the revenue otherwise there would be no Google Voice App or whatever.



    It's a case of cutting off the nose to spite the face.



    Cut the revenue out of the networks and there will be no networks.
  • Reply 29 of 141
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Warbrain View Post


    Meh, Google Voice is still a bit of a forgotten project as so few people have access to it...



    Forgotten? It's new. How could it be forgotten when it's still in limited beta? I got an account fortunately, and I love it. As for the GV app... who cares? Just navigate to Google Voice using Safari, hit the little "+" symbol at the bottom of the screen and the tap the "Add To Home Screen" button. Same as using an app.
  • Reply 30 of 141
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    As for the GV app... who cares? Just navigate to Google Voice using Safari, hit the little "+" symbol at the bottom of the screen and the tap the "Add To Home Screen" button. Same as using an app.



    Just out of curiosity, how do I dial my contacts from Safari? Not all of us keep all our contacts on Google.



    I like the GV Mobile app. I am very mad at Apple for killing it. This action worries me and makes me think perhaps I shouldn't have bought a 3GS.
  • Reply 31 of 141
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eksodos View Post


    This is a great decision by Apple.



    But down the bong, son.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eksodos


    Why should Google come along and deprive Apple and their valued partners of revenues? Go play with your Android friends Google. You are not wanted here.



    Valued partner? AT&T sucks balls! Everyone in the US hates them. They are the biggest problem with the iPhone right now. Why don't I have working MMS? Because AT&T can't handle it.



    Google voice is very much wanted here. Finally a service that lets me control the phone like it was actually intelligent instead of being the same lame-old piece of crap it's always been.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by eksodos


    Even more important ensuring voice calls are of the highest possible quality. Guess who is going to get blamed when call quality is terrible, lines drop, and latency makes conversation next to impossible?



    You know that GV isn't a VoIP app, right? It uses regular old voice lines. Try not to speak when you know nothing about the subject next time. You'll live longer.
  • Reply 32 of 141
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60 View Post


    So will Google and the other developers put money in to maintain, upgrade and expand the mobile networks to give us, as consumers what we need?



    Uhm, GV still requires a data connection. Still requires a phone line and minutes. And it still requires to you have an iPhone and have a contract. What, exactly, are we depriving AT&T of?



    Unless, of course, you're trying to defend the insane SMS rates.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hill60


    Companies like AT&T need the revenue otherwise there would be no Google Voice App or whatever.



    And what, exactly, has AT&T been doing with the insane money it makes off the iPhone? If it takes anti-competitive business practices in order to stay in business then perhaps it's time to break up the phone companies again. Or at least regulate them. You can believe stuff like this is going to come up when Congress looks at what these guys are doing. And I hope Congress smacks the crap out of them.
  • Reply 33 of 141
    emulatoremulator Posts: 251member
    and what if one wants to put this app on an ipod? yes, they are the same thing in apple's book, how smart!



    wonder if it's on cydia.
  • Reply 34 of 141
    richlrichl Posts: 2,213member
    I'm much more interested in whether Apple will approve Spotify's new "all you can eat" music app.
  • Reply 35 of 141
    jukkiejukkie Posts: 2member
    "In the past, carriers have argued against allowing voice over IP apps such as Fring and Skype on the cellular network for technical reasons, such as latency; the lag on even a 3G network is high enough that holding a regular conversation isn't really feasible, for example."



    What a load of crap. I've used two way video calling on my computer over a 3G network from the middle of nowhere to Melbourne and it worked fine. That's video and sound in full duplex.



    Carriers have their hand on it.
  • Reply 36 of 141
    lostkiwilostkiwi Posts: 639member
    Well, technically it doesn't affect most of the world as I believe GV was a US only deal right?

    So it isn't big news in my neck of the woods... however I personally quite shocked that Apple would burn their good mates Google on this by denying the app 6 weeks ago.



    There is no revenue sharing anymore so I can't see how Apple would give two hoots either way if people use GV. The only people who want to deny everyone the ability to make low cost calls would be the carriers, more specifically AT&T. So it would be logical to assume that the hand of AT&T is behind this..



    I'm not sure why everyone is getting all angry at Apple at this - isn't it a case of shooting the messenger (instead of the carrier)?

    Ba-dom, ching! Thank you, I'll be here all week..
  • Reply 37 of 141
    gwydiongwydion Posts: 1,083member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by lostkiwi View Post


    I'm not sure why everyone is getting all angry at Apple at this - isn't it a case of shooting the messenger (instead of the carrier)?

    Ba-dom, ching! Thank you, I'll be here all week..



    The company which has banned the application is not AT&T, it's Apple.
  • Reply 38 of 141
    Poor decision, but let's hope it is only temporary, while Apple calms AT&T.



    Look, the phone companies are going to have nothing left when they lose text messages. They won't be able to sell "value added" services anymore and will be reduced to dumb pipes.



    Expect companies who only invested in (dark) fiber infrastructures like Level3 to win big.



    Google Voice is great, and it's unfortunate that their app isn't available for my iPhone (yet).
  • Reply 39 of 141
    lostkiwilostkiwi Posts: 639member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gwydion View Post


    The company which has banned the application is not AT&T, it's Apple.



    Of course, but I think that soon more facts will come to light that show that AT&T was the force behind it - just like the whole Sling debacle. But that's just my 2 cents.
  • Reply 40 of 141
    walshbjwalshbj Posts: 864member
    Repeating what others have said: Google Voice is not VOIP. However - it does provide a front-end for dialing through its web interface.



    There are two ways GV is a threat to AT&T right now:



    Directly: I could use it for ALL my SMS needs from the iPhone. Not as convenient as SMS on the iPhone plans but it works. I can also choose to use GV some of the time, like when my plan is low on SMS messages.



    Indirectly: I can use my landline, conveniently, for free outbound long distance, resulting in less use of my iPhone voice minutes. Otherwise I'd be using iPhone minutes to take advantage of free long distance.



    The comments about voice quality are moot. This is all about AT&T stifling innovation - which is what they do best. Where have the carriers been with all the features GV offers? Shouldn't their expertise have made it easy to offer these things, even if for a fee?
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