When we first heard that Apple was pulling third party Google Voice applications for the AppStore, we didn’t think that the ban would apply to the official Google Voice App created by Google. As it turns out, Apple and AT&T are banning Google Voice period.
A Google representative told this to TechCrunch:
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.
To make a long story short, Google Voice gives SMS to users for free, something AT&T, and all the carriers, quite frankly, have been over charging customers for, for years. A lot of iPhone users are questioning why BlackBerry users on AT&T still get to have the Google Voice App for BlackBerry. I am going to go out on a limb and assume that this is because BlackBerry devices require a special type of data plan, BIS or BES, both which generally include unlimited SMS. Seeing how my previous assumption was completely untrue, I have no clue why Apple is anti GV.
I am sure that this is not the last that we will be hearing of this story…
I broke my iPhone 3G about 2 weeks ago. My plan expires at the beginning of next month when I was planning to get the new iPhone 3G. I forwarded my number to my BlackBerry on Verizon, provided by my work, and to be completely honest, I really haven’t missed my iPhone.
I dropped my unlimited SMS back in April when I got GV Mobile and now I am thinking that I will just cancel my AT&T subscription and only use GV and my work BlackBerry since I won’t be able to put GV Mobile back on a new iPhone.
AT&T Sucks
You really are going to drop your iPhone because you can’t get Google Voice on it? I just find that hard to believe.
I am a big fan of GV and GV dialer but I can’t see giving up my iPhone because I can’t get free SMS anymore.
Believe what you want but it is just too expensive to sign up to another plan and pay more for SMS when my new job pays for my BlackBerry for me.
BIS and BES plans DO NOT automatically come with unlimited SMS. You need to almost double the price of a BIS plan for that. Apple is the culprit in this situation, not AT&T. If AT&T didn’t want their customers to use GV, they’d block it for ALL devices. Think about how long it took to get Yahoo Messenger/e-mail. It was blocked by Cingular for years.
@justelise and RF9,
You are both absolutely right as my information is false. I made made an assumption based off my plan on another network where at the time i signed up to it, they offered free SMS on unlimited data plans on with BIS or BES.
Thanks for keeping me in check…
This blog is a joke. The only good content is people calling you out when you make mistakes.
I don’t buy the free SMS explanation. There are plenty of apps in the App Store that provide SMS abilities that bypass AT&T. (textfree, etc…)
” I am going to go out on a limb and assume that this is because BlackBerry devices require a special type of data plan, BIS or BES, both which generally include unlimited SMS.”
Well that limb just broke. Blackberry data plan pricing is identical to iPhone. BIS is $30 just as iPhone, and BES is $45 as is iPhone business data.
Like iPhone, Blackberry data plans do not include any SMS. That’s a whole extra package.
Furthermore, Blackberry has “BBM” Blackberry Messenger which is really just like text messaging but totally free between two blackberries if you have each other’s “PIN.”
Maybe BBM is the reason. I say it’s just BS and it’s because AT&T sees the iPhone as a way to rape consumers and Google voice threatens that.
For AT&T, SMS costs $5 for 200, $15 for 1500 and $20 for unlimited.
As all customers know that is over price, a ripe off, a rub.
It is like caller ID, do not list, detail billing and many other “additional” features.
If someone is willing to pay for it, they will continue to charge until there is competition like Google Voice. Eliminate the competition, monopolize it, they can continue to ripe us off.
@ A User, but AT&T **DID NOT** eliminate the competition. GV is still available for other devices on AT&T.
I don’t know why it is so difficult for people to see that this is an APPLE control issue, not an AT&T issue.
I know that some nut-job Apple fanboy will probably flame me for this but, Apple has a long history of being very anti consumer. We often here how bad Verizon is to its’ subscribers or how stupid RIM is for giving into Verizon’s demands, but Apple is just as if not more guilty of the same practices. The only differnce is that Apple has figured out how to make you love them for treating you like crap.
@Robb Dunewood no problem. It’s an easy mistake to make. Carrier data plans and packages are not simple. Anyone who says otherwise has spent time becoming an expert on their offerings.
Again, Blackberry has BBM which is like free texting. But I think the whole problem has more to do with the iPhone’s consumer popularity vs. Blackberry’s business popularity.
This sucks. But tell me a cell phone provider that doesn’t….the iPhone is still the best device of its kind so it’s not something I can give up even if I briefly think about getting a Tour instead.
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i would think that if this IS an apple control issue, it might be because the ipod touch could start cannibalizing on the iphone. since i own neither of the products, i can’t say for sure, but from what i understand, ipod touch comes wi-fi enabled, no? slap on a earphone w/ a built in mic. and u’v got yourself a free internet phone. not guaranteed to work in ALL places of course, but may work charmingly at any home w/ a wifi router.
sucks for the consumers, but i think it’s an understandable move by apple.
Google Voice is not VOIP. It does not let you place free or any phone calls over an internet connection. It works by forwarding calls from GV to your phone via phone minutes, therefore only works with a phone, not a iPod Touch. It also replaces your voicemail and other phone features thereby competing with AT&T.
By way of comparison there are VOIP apps on that are already available on the app store for making free phone calls over wifi, and I believe will work on the iPod touch.
right. i neglected to mention earlier that GV would need to be used in conjunction w/ a service like gizmo.
slap on a earphone w/ a built in mic. and u’v got yourself a free internet phone. not guaranteed to work in ALL places of course, but may work charmingly at any home w/ a wifi router.