Google Voice now available for iPad and iPod touch, but no VoIP

by Justin Horn on Dec 14th, 2010 @ 11:17 am

Google Voice Blog:

At the top of the list was adding support for iPod Touch and iPad. Starting today, you can download a new version of Google Voice that lets you use all the features of the app on these devices, such as sending and receiving free text messages – except, of course, make cellular calls.

While you can’t use your iPod or iPad as a phone, you can use it to initiate Google Voice calls with your phones. We call this feature Click2Call. Simply click any ‘Call’ button in the Google Voice app on your iPod or iPad and then select which of your phones you want to ring. Google Voice will call your phone and then connect your call.

This phone call limitation is no surprise as the Google Voice app has yet to VoIP support. Not sure why this option isn’t available as the Google Voice platform added VoIP support a couple months. When using GV from a computer web browser, you can make and receive calls from the computer, no phone required.  Also, there are no red tape roadblocks in the way, VoIP has been supported on the iPhone and AT&T 3G for some time now.  I’m guessing the GV VoIP platform is still pretty new and they are waiting to firm it up before going mobile with it.  When they do release it, Skype could be in trouble.

They also tossed in a couple new tweaks:

  • When you enable Push Notifications, we will automatically disable Text forwarding for you, so you won’t receive multiple notifications.
  • Want some quiet time? You can send all callers straight to voicemail by turning on Do not disturb in the Settings tab.
  • We made it easier for you to place calls from the address book by adding a dedicated Contacts button to the Dialer tab.
  • Sending text messages is now more streamlined since you don’t need to press the OK button anymore.

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Google, iOS apps

Official Google Voice app released

by Justin Horn on Nov 16th, 2010 @ 3:05 pm

Google Blog:

Earlier this year we launched a Google Voice HTML5 web app for iPhone users. Today we’re taking the Google Voice experience on the iPhone to a whole new level with the launch of the official Google Voice for iPhone app.

With this native app, you’ll continue to have access to all the major Google Voice features on your iPhone, like:
Cheap rates for international calls
Free text messaging to U.S. numbers
Voicemail transcription
Display your Google Voice number as caller ID when making calls

I never thought we would see the day! Glad Google is taking advantage of the new app store rules.

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Google, iPhone, iPhone apps

Official Google Voice app already approved?

by Justin Horn on Sep 28th, 2010 @ 12:41 pm

TechCrunch:

The App Store review office at 1 Infinite Loop has officially frozen over: we’ve gotten word that the official Google Voice application is on its way to the iPhone in the next few weeks. In fact, we’ve heard from a source close to Google that it’s already been approved — Google just needs to revamp the application to work with the iPhone 4 and iOS’s multitasking capabilities.

You remember the shit storm surrounding the official and third party Google Voice app rejections, with the FCC questioning all the players; Apple, AT&T, and Google. It seemed like all hope was lost…that was until Apple recently changed the app store rules and the third party GV apps started to appear in the app store again. Since then we’ve all been waiting to see when/if the official Google Voice app would be approved, and now it looks like it has!

(via iPhoneInCanada)

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Apple vs ?, at&t, Google, iPhone apps, Speculation

Apple lied to FCC, Google Voice was rejected July 7th

by Justin Horn on Sep 18th, 2009 @ 12:14 pm

The FCC began an investigation into the Google Voice iPhone app rejection what seems like forever ago now. Part of Google’s response to the FCC was redacted at Google’s request, but now Google has announced on their blog that they have asked the FCC to remove the restriction:

Shortly afterward, several individuals and organizations submitted Freedom of Information Act requests with the FCC seeking access to this information. While we could have asked the FCC to oppose those requests, in light of Apple’s decision to make its own letter fully public and in the interest of transparency, we decided to drop our request for confidentiality. Today the FCC posted the full content of our letter to their website (PDF).

Google’s full response from the new underacted portions goes into more detail about the Google Voice rejection:

On July 7, Mr. Eustace and Mr. Schiller spoke over the phone.  It was during this call that Mr. Schiller informed Mr. Eustace that Apple was rejecting the Google voice appliation for the reasons desribed above in 2(a).

2(a): Apple’s representatives informed Google that the Google Voice application was rejected because Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone. The Apple representatives indicated that the company did not want applications that could potentially replace such functionality.

I’m not sure if you remember Apple’s answer to the FCC question “Why did Apple reject the Google Voice application for iPhone”, if not here it is:

Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it.

Apple continued their response with the duplication argument that Google stated as the reason for rejection, but somebody is lying here and I’m betting it’s not Google. I believe Apple moved the app from the rejected pile to “app purgatory” after the FCC started poking around as a delay tactic. I also feel that if it were not for the FCC the app would have been permanently buried like Google Latitude, which was rejected for similar reasons. Whether it was rejected or not, the fact that they allow Skype in and not Google Voice should be a concern for the FCC.

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Apple vs ?, iPhone

FCC to crack the case of the rejected Google Voice app

by Justin Horn on Jul 31st, 2009 @ 9:21 pm

I’m sure you’ve heard by now the FCC is looking into the whole Google Voice app rejection fiasco that we talked about the other day then followed up a day later with AT&T’s denial of involvement.

TechCrunch has obtained and posted the 3 letters sent out from the FCC to Apple, AT&T, and Google. In the letter to Apple they ask several questions we are all dieing to know with a deadline for those answer by close of business on Friday, August 21, 2009. So it looks like we should only have to wait another month for the truth.

Here are the questions they are asking Apple:

1. Why did Apple reject the Google Voice application for iPhone and remove related third-party applications from its App Store?  In addition to Google Voice, which related third-party applications were removed or have been rejected?  Please provide the specific name of each application and the contact information for the developer.

2. Did Apple act alone, or in consultation with AT&T, in deciding to reject the Google Voice application and related applications?  If the latter, please describe the communications between Apple and AT&T in connection with the decision to reject Google Voice.  Are there any contractual conditions or non-contractual understandings with AT&T that affected Apple’s decision in this matter?

3. Does AT&T have any role in the approval of iPhone applications generally (or in certain cases)?  If so, under what circumstances, and what role does it play?  What roles are specified in the contractual provisions between Apple and AT&T (or any non-contractual understandings) regarding the consideration of particular iPhone applications?

4. Please explain any differences between the Google Voice iPhone application and any Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) applications that Apple has approved for the iPhone.  Are any of the approved VoIP applications allowed to operate on AT&T’s 3G network?

5. What other applications have been rejected for use on the iPhone and for what reasons?  Is there a list of prohibited applications or of categories of applications that is provided to potential vendors/developers?  If so, is this posted on the iTunes website or otherwise disclosed to consumers?

6. What are the standards for considering and approving iPhone applications?   What is the approval process for such applications (timing, reasons for rejection, appeal process, etc.)?  What is the percentage of applications that are rejected?  What are the major reasons for rejecting an application?

To see all three letter in their entirety visit the TechCrunch link.

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Apple vs ?, at&t, iPhone

Updated: at&t denies involvement in the Google Voice app rejection

by Justin Horn on Jul 29th, 2009 @ 12:05 pm

att-or-apple

UPDATE Saga continuing faster than I thought…looks like Sean Kovacs, GV Mobile developer, got an email from Apple blaming AT&T (Thanks for the link Dave).

UPDATE 2 Also, take a look at a post by the developers of VoiceCentral  reviewing the conversation they  had with Apple about their app being removed.

The latest app store rejection of Google Voice is turning out to be a real whodunit! The signs were all pointing to AT&T yesterday, but I wasn’t convinced by John Gruber’s little birdie. It wasn’t until later in the day when Gruber responded to Om Malik’s argument against pointing the finger at AT&T, similar to my own,  that got me rethinking the situation:

Om Malik

Some allege that Apple is doing this at AT&T’s behest. That is just flat-out wrong: If it were true, then Google Voice would be banned on BlackBerry devices that use AT&T as well.

Gruber

But, trust me, it was AT&T’s decision. And this is not the first time AT&T has treated the iPhone differently than other phones they carry. Remember the SlingPlayer app? At AT&T’s behest, the iPhone version was restricted to Wi-Fi, despite the fact that the BlackBerry version works over 3G.

I wanted to see if I could get AT&T to officially chime in, so I left a ‘strongly worded’ comment (they usually respond to the crazy ones :) ) on AT&T’s Facebook page in regards to the Google Voice app rejection and here’s what they had to say:

Justin, We’re really not trying to dodge this, but you will have to talk to Apple regarding its App Store. AT&T is not involved in the approval process, so we cannot speak to this issue.

Not that I was expecting a detailed answer, but AT&T has now gone on record denying they had anything to do with it. So I think after reviewing everything (again) I’m going to stick with my first conclusion from yesterday…I don’t know.  The saga continues…

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Apple vs ?, at&t, Featured post, iPhone apps

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