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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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