In what looks like an ongoing trend of total stupidity, Apple started to pull all Google Voice applications from the App Store yesterday siting the fact that those apps “duplicate features that come with the iPhone”. Now google announced that the official Google Voice app that the company submitted to Apple for approval has be rejected for the same reason.
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.
I’m starting to see bloggers everywhere blaming AT&T for “forcing” Apple’s hand because GV is a threat to their business etc. Please, don’t be such apologists. The whole world doesn’t revolve around the US and AT&T. When Apple does something like this it affects the millions of iPhone ad iPod Touch users worldwide. It’s Apple decision and who supposedly “forced” them doesn’t matter!
Update: Om Malik posted some good points here
As I wrote in my post, Meet Google, Your Phone Company:
The mobile app for Google Voice uses the regular PSTN connection to place a call to Google Voice, which then places a call out to the person you need to reach. Since these calls (and SMS messages) originate from your Google Voice, they display your Google Voice number for the recipients. The service needs a data connection but it isn’t necessary to have a Wi-Fi connection to place and receive calls. The wireless number you buy from the cell phone company becomes less relevant.
As a result, AT&T still gets to count minutes spent making and receiving calls via Google voice. So how is that bad news for AT&T? It’s not, and the only way it could be was if Google Voice worked over Wi-Fi. Apparently, even that hasn’t been much of an issue that far because Apple has been approving WiFi-based VoIP apps.
If AT&T indeed was the villain here or Apple was against VoIP calls, then by now all eoice applicatiee ons would have been given the boot. My Skype, Truphone, Nimbuzz and Fring accounts are all working fine. You can download them from the iTunes store. So again, I think people are jumping to conclusions here.
Source: Techcrunch
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