Apple blocks Google Voice from iPhone

Google... Apple... what happened to you guys?
Google... Apple... what happened to you guys?

Apple has blocked the official Google Voice application from its store, as well as all the other GV compatible programs too.

The reason given is they "duplicate features that come with the iPhone", but apparently it's not actually Apple that's stopping the process.

GV Mobile's developer Sean Kovacs said he has been personally phoned by Phil Schiller, he who took the last Apple keynote, to let him know the App was being processed.

Carrier block

But apparently the iPhone's carrier in the US, AT&T, suddenly realised that a service that lets you send free texts and make cheap calls (and makes mobile telephony easier too) is not a Good Thing.

A Google spokesperson told 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."

That's a bit boring, especially when we've been forced to endure the same thing with Latitude on the iPhone recently (although whether anyone cares about Latitude is another story).

But at least GV is on the Android and BlackBerry platforms - and given how spangly good Google Voice is, could be a reason for those on the iPhone fence to fall into Google's cabbage patch.

Via TechCrunch

Gareth Beavis
Formerly Global Editor in Chief

Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grown with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.

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