Google Voice Silenced by Apple on iPhone
Apple shuts the door on all Google Voice applications, including third-party applications that support search engine giant Google’s VOIP and telephony product, which is rolling out to more users. Google Voice duplicates some features in the iPhone, but analysts believe Apple’s chilliness also stems from its relationship with AT&T. Carriers dislike Google Voice because of the free SMS and cheap international calls it provides.
In a sign that Apple will not always play nice with Google, Apple has banned the Google Voice application, as well as third-party Google Voice applications, from its iPhone App Store, ostensibly because Google Voice features compete with those in the iPhone.
Reached by phone July 18, Apple spokesperson Jennifer Bowcock declined to comment, but a Google spokesperson confirmed the ban of Google Voice in a statement to eWEEK July 27:
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.
The move was first reported by TechCrunch and there is additional coverage on TechMeme.
Earlier in the day on July 27, iPhone application developer Sean Kovacs said his popular application GV Mobile, which lets users make calls and send SMS (Short Message Service) messages from a Google Voice number to any other number in a contact list, was also removed from the App Store.
Kovacs wrote in his blog: “Richard Chipman from Apple just called—he told me they’re removing GV Mobile from the App Store due to it duplicating features that the iPhone comes with (Dialer, SMS, etc). He didn’t actually specify which features, although I assume the whole app in general.”
VoiceCentral, which does the same thing GV Mobile does, was also banned from the App Store, but not until reporters asked Google about Google Voice did anyone learn that Google’s application had been give the cold shoulder as well.
While Apple is maintaining its silence on the subject, TechCrunch speculates that Apple’s treatment of Google Voice applications comes courtesy of sole iPhone carrier AT&T. Update: Daring Fireball’s John Gruber confirmed this through a source.
Phone companies are leery of Google Voice, which does an end run around their services by providing free SMS and cheap international calling services.
Enderle Group analyst Rob Enderle acknowledged that Apple and AT&T would indeed have reason to shunt Google Voice to the side. Enderle told eWEEK:
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