The Official, Unofficial BlackBerry Weblog
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Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, resigns from Apple’s board. Does this have anything to do with Apple’s ban of all things Google Voice? I would have to guess that it probably does.
To make a long story short, Google, with Android and Google OS, is moving in on Apple’s turf. Mr. Schmidt recusing himself from conversations where there was a conflict of interest wasn’t enough any longer.
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I knew that this wouldn’t be the last that we heard of the Apple ban against Google Voice apps on the iPhone. The Federal Communications Commission has launched an official inquiry as to not only why Apple rejected the official Google Voice app for the iPhone, but why they kicked off every other third party GV app for the iPhone as well.
The FCC sent out letters to Apple, AT&T, and Google, and, to make a long story short, they asked Apple why they did what hey did and if AT&T had anything to do with it. They asked AT&T pretty much the same thing as they asked Apple and they also wanted to know if AT&T get to dictate what applications Apple can put on the iPhone. They asked Google if they knew why Apple rejected Google Voice.
AT&T has already responded publicly and they are pretty much allowing Apple to fall on their own sword.
AT&T does not manage or approve applications for the App Store. We have received the letter and will, of course, respond to it.
Customers can use any compatible GSM phone on our network, not just the ones we’ve approved and sell. And they also can use apps we don’t approve. We don’t approve iPhone applications.
I am sure that there will be much more to come.
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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…
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I just read a bit of news that will make a lot of iPhone users unhappy. Apple has decided to pull all third party Google Voice clients, err, ugm, GV Mobile and VoiceCentral from the AppStore. We know that there is an official Google Voice client coming for the iPhone. Clients for Android and BlackBerry devices have already been released. We still, however, aren’t quite sure why Apple would pull third party GV clients regardless of if an official GV client is coming out or not.
[Source]
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Pretty much ever since the day that the first iPhone was announced we’ve seen blog posts, news and magazine articles, and television reports questioning whether the BlackBerry would be able to survive once the Apple machine got wheels rolling. I think it is safe to say that Research in Motion and the BlackBerry have fared pretty well and have even exceed expectations.
I, however, want to ask a question from the other side of things. Should Apple be concerned about RIM? With the onslaught of multiple new BlackBerry devices on pretty much every carrier of consequence over a relatively short period of time, I say that Apple should be…
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Regardless of if you are an iPhone / iPod fan or not, 500 million downloads in a year and a half half a year is impressive…
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I can’t remember where I read this, but, Apple may actually sell more iPhones this quarter than RIM sells BlackBerrys.
Let’s think about that for a second. The BlackBerry is unquestionably the top smartphone out their right now, however, the iPhone may actually outsell the BlackBerry this quarter and Apple got to this point in less than two years. This is an impressive feat for even a company with Apple’s resources.
Knocking the price of the iPhone down to $200 was a brilliant move and had a bit of a Microsoft flavor to it if you ask me.
I don’t think that too many people that use both Macs and PCs would argue that the Mac has a superior OS, is more stable, and is easier to use than Windows, yet Windows still dominates in most homes where these very things would seem to matter most.
In the same vein, not many will argue that the BlackBerry, less web browsing, is far superior to the iPhone as far as everything messaging is concerned, simply just works all the time, and has changed how business users stay in touch and respond almost in real time to email.
I think that you could honestly say that the iPhone is to the BlackBerry what the PC was to the Mac 20 years ago in this sense. Apple isn’t going directly after corporate users just yet. They know trying to battle the BlackBerry on it’s home turf would be like bringing a knife to a gun fight. Apple is, however, going after everyone else, especially those that will become corporate users one day.
What Apple is doing is selling iPhone to consumers like mad and even though the iPhone is still little more than a novelty in most corporate IT environments, it will improve over time, especially when millions of new corporate users that already use iPhone personally are requesting it.
RIM seriously needs to look at lessons passed when setting their strategy over the next few years.
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Apple has decided to extend MobileMe access an additional 60 days on top of the 30 days that they previously extended it to everyone that shelled out $100 forcing you to use a service that doesn’t work for a full 15 months.
Personally, I would prefer that Apple keep their 90 days and just refund my $100, however, I don’t see that happening until a few class action suites have been settled.
I will say that Apple is very lucky that they are Apple. I don’t believe too many other service providers could withstand such an embarrassing launch.
[Source]
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