Apple Afraid Google is Taking Over the iPhone?
Techcrunch has an interesting “rebuttal” up regarding Apple’s response to the FCC over the rejection of Google Voice. I use the quotes because I think the rebuttal part itself is off-target, while the conclusion is fairly spot on. Worst things first:
[Apple's response] strongly suggests that the Google Voice app replaces much of the core Apple iPhone OS function. This certainly isn’t accurate, and we believe the statement is misleading. More details below, but in general the iPhone app is a very light touch and doesn’t interfere with any native iPhone apps at all.
The crux of their argument is that, while Google Voice provides separate voice dialing, voice mail, and SMS functionality outside Apple’s built-in Phone and Messages apps, users are still free to use the built in apps. More specifically, that Google Voice only replaces these things when the Google Voice phone number is used.
Um. Yeah.
Users, at least in part, are going to be replacing the AT&T number with the Google Voice number (likely the reason to get the Google Voice number for a segment of users). Ergo, they’ll be replacing the built in Phone and SMS apps with the Google Voice app.
No big deal, though, right? Why should Apple care if people replace Phone and Messages with Google Voice?
Here, Techcrunch makes the kind of sense that does:
Multiple sources at Google tell us that in informal discussions with Apple over the last few months Apple expressed dismay at the number of core iPhone apps that are powered by Google. Search, maps, YouTube, and other key popular apps are powered by Google. Other than the browser, Apple has little else to call its own other than the core phone, contacts and calendar features. The Google Voice App takes things one step further, by giving users an incentive to abandon their iPhone phone number and use their Google Voice phone number instead (transcription of voicemails is reason enough alone). Apple was afraid, say our sources, that Google was gaining too much power on the iPhone, and that’s why they rejected the application.
Taking a look at the iPhone Home Screen, I see: Messages (could be replaced by Google Voice), Calendar (can already be fed by Google Calendar), Photos (no Picasa feed yet), Camera, YouTube (fed by Google), Stocks (Yahoo! ), Maps (fed by Google), Weather (Yahoo!), Voice Memos, Notes, Clock, Calculator, Settings, iTunes, App Store (no fair counting Google WebApps here), Compass, Phone (could be replaced by Google Voice), Mail (Gmail replacement app, MailWrangler, rejected from App Store, but can be fed by Gmail IMAP), iPod.
That’s a fairly hefty Google presence. Previously, TiPb’s mentioned how the iPhone gets the best of both worlds — Apple and Google developing for it, while Android only gets Google. However, part of the thinking behind why Google launched Android (and Chrome, and will launch ChromeOS) is because they see themselves as a threat to traditional OS and software makers, and want to ensure they have their own platforms — and control of those platforms — just incase Microsoft or Apple ever decide to cut them out of those traditional OS and software spaces.
So, while Google has Android to fall back on absent the iPhone, does Apple have their own cloud services to fall back on absent Google’s data pipes? Microsoft is working hard to make sure they do, and — wait for it — isn’t Apple building a new billion-dollar data center for some undisclosed reason?
I made this analogy yesterday and I’m sticking by it — IBM licensing DOS for the PC killed IBM and gave birth to Microsoft. Google has a near-monopoly on search-based advertising, the cash cow of the internet, and they’re moving into all manner of services, now including software and mobile and desktop OS. They’re becoming so directly competitive with Apple that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has left Apple’s board of directors.
Apple worrying that one of their biggest, best funded, best forwardly positioned competitors is taking over the iPhone to a degree that they, rather than Apple, control the device?
Yeah, that’s totally believable.
Do we think for one moment that, if instead of licensing ActiveSync to work in Mail, Calendar, and Contacts, Microsoft had wanted to put a Mobile Outlook app on the iPhone to handle all that separately, Apple still would have gone forward with it?
Would BlockBuster allow Netflix kiosks in their stores without worries? Heck, would you rent a room in your house if more and more people began living there, outnumbering your family, and began replacing your furniture with alternatives, even if better?
If, on the other hand, Google Voice transparently worked through the existing Phone and Messages application, maybe Apple wouldn’t worry at all (though AT&T might at that point). Google Voice would then just be another pipe, and as I’ve discussed before, Apple seems to be a firm believer that the interface is the app. As long as users have a consistent front end, Apple can re-arrange the pipes behind the scenes, add or remove partners, introduce or deprecate technologies even, but the user experience stays the same, and Apple stays independent from service providers.
Google Voice being a separate app means that Google could, however unlikely it seems right now, one day decide to pull Google Voice from the iPhone and make it Android exclusive. Again, swapping pipes is easy, replacing an app part of the user base has become accustomed too, not so much.
Techcrunch believes Apple, given the FCC scrutiny, will now have no choice but to backpedal and allow Google Voice onto the iPhone, the same way a landlord afraid of being publicly called out as rude may allow that tenant to keep taking over the house.
Arguably, of course, Google has Android and can run Google Voice on Android, and if consumers want Google Voice they can simply buy Android-based phones. However, Andy Rubin just admitted Android 1.0 couldn’t even run VoIP, and of those who did indeed loudly leave the iPhone and switch to Android for that very reason, several have been just as loudly unsatisfied with the current polish of Google’s mobile OS. (No doubt that problem will disappear over the coming months/year).
So maybe I was wrong. Maybe it’s not just users that get the benefit of Apple and Google on the iPhone, and only Google on Android. Maybe Google gets the benefit of being on everything and Apple (and Microsoft, and RIM, and Palm, etc.) only get what’s left of their own, single platforms — those few icons not powered by Google.
[Thanks striatic for the tip!]
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:48 am
Not surprised in the least. I’ve mentioned several times that I thought Apple is afraid of Google and are building this data center to compete with some of the very things Google controls on the iPhone. Glad to see I’m not alone in this theory.
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:00 am
I just hope they don’t take away all of the Google-powered native apps on the iPhone. That’s my main and only concern!
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:40 am
@ Dexter
I’m in total agreement as much as I love my iPhone it would really suck if apple got rid of google related apps. I use google native apps 85% to 90% of the time. You don’t know how many time that maps application has saved me!
P.S. – got my invite for google voice and it’s awesome.
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:48 am
Google is truly a threat like no other! But, it will definitely take some time before I give up my iPhone. The android powered phones still have much to improve to kill the iPhone. Looks like the iPhone currently has over 60k apps, the android platform 6k, and Blackberry a little over 3k.
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:54 am
Darn, part of the article didn’t post. Fixed and apologies. Now going to kick auto-save feature in its app…
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:59 am
Well, I hate to tell Apple this but they are essentially a platform provider, much as people generally view carriers as pipe providers (and that they should stay out of our platforms and apps). In fact, if Apple cared so much about the quality of the apps they /do/ develop for the phone, then why is it that every conversation I get into with other users and prospective users seems to find it’s way to apologizing about how weak PIM and email are? Well, Apple? And no, these users don’t accept using PC/Mac based apps and syncing to their (dumb?) smartphone as a real answer to that.
Moreover, consider what’s happened on the Mac front. How many people are truly drinking the Apple app champaign there? For myself, apart from the OS and related utilities… The iTunes app is about the only one I use. Email, PIM, photo management, … All other aspects of what I do to be productive on my Mac come from other vendors, and many of those are free.
Maybe Apple needs to stop worrying about how to keep competitors out of the App Store and realize (1) if they build better apps then having the competition there won’t matter and (2) maybe they aren’t the best and brightest purveyors of these apps if people seem to constantly want or need something else (Jailbreak, anyone?)
Why hasn’t anyone told the Emperor he has no clothes on???
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:14 am
Makes me glad that I waited an got a Blackberry on Verizon as they don’t keep ******** with their customers…and I like my Blackberry although if the iPhone comes to Verizon I might then get it through them and NEVER from AT$T’s GREED
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:17 am
I don’t see the issue… I use Google Voice now, and forward it to my iphone. That doesn’t preclude me from using my iphone. Those that have my cell phone number call my iphone; others call Google Voice.
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:53 am
Isn’t it wonderful goog control everything we do and cache them as well.
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:16 am
@ bill taroll….good points. Love the emperor comment
Google should merge with apple then buy At&t. :-p
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:24 am
Blah, blah, blah.
Boy when it wasn’t Microsoft trying to kill or undermine Apple; now it’s Google. Listen, all I see for Google going forward is more layoffs; search is starting to show its age and they have no choice but to pull a Microsoft and try to get into everyone’s business- bad choice- just look at Microsoft.
As for the FCC, the App store is run and owned by Apple. Apple’s generating jobs by both its fiscal stores and its App store. The FCC should mind its own business and run its shop more efficiently- I’m sure there’s plenty of deadwood to go around at the FCC. This isn’t Howard Stern and some public airwaves controversy we’re talking about this about a privately run business with specific, not public, paying customers. Sore losers need not complain and the government should butt out.
As for Google, where are the Android phones????? WTF? Can’t copy Apple fast enough???? **** poor SDK? What’s next Palm crying that Apple isn’t letting them use the iTunes store? Like hey give Apple a 30% cut off your revenues and they might let you tap into all their hard work too.
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:42 am
We went thru the BLAME ATT phase. It seemed logical.
Now it looks like APPLE is solely at fault here.
Most Apple fans following this issue have been forced, for the first time, to look Apple in the face and realize evil resides there.
For many fanboys this is a worldview-shattering event.
Predictably, those have turned to shifting the blame to Google. Its Google’s fault they do it better than Apple. Google evil. Apple good. Apple just trying to protect itself. Poor Apple.
Look, its simple. Your GOD was caught with its hand in the cookie jar. They rejected an app that did not violate any of their stated restrictions, violated no contract provisions. They then lied about it in written testimony to the FCC. They don’t have anything better up their sleeve to offer, its just petty jealousy at play.
Apple has an evil streak.
Deal with it.
Stop trying to provide excuses.
August 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 am
Afraid or not, the iPhone for all practical purposes is a computer and I don’t see Apple or Microsoft dictating what software I can run on my home computer. Why should the phone be any different?
I don’t like the fact that Steve Jobs is going to dictate to me what I can and cannot put on my phone. This is a very useful app, unlike the millions of iFart programs that Apple seems happy for people to waste $$$ on.
This action on Apples part has me seriously thinking of dumping iPhone when my contract is up and going back to a Blackberry.
Steve Jobs can go to hell along with his new liver.
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:17 pm
If you don’t want Apple dictating what you can run and not run on your phone– don’t by an iPhone. It’s that simple. Plenty of other choices.
This is not a fanboy problem as much as it’s an Apple envy issue. I say suck it up and buy some other smart phone.
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Unfortunately the apps provided by Apple for the IPhone suck in comparison to what is available out there. They can’t or won’t write good apps for certain functionality – fine, then let someone else do it. They should either compete or get the hell out of the way. Frankly I am a new iPhone user who didn’t take the plunge until 3gs. It’s a great piece of hardware but I wouldn’t have bought it had I known about apple’s control freak anticompetitive nature. As a long time winmo user I was used to being able to choose my own software without these draconian limitations.
From a software prespective winmo can do a lot more than the iPhone. Now I know why.
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:36 pm
@lrd: it most definitely IS a fanboy problem! If fanboys didn’t put up with this stuff and evangelize the phone like it was the second coming consumers would know not to buy this phone. Or at least realize that its main function is to be a toy rather than any serious productivity tool like you might expect of a smart phone.
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:47 pm
RjD: Must suck to be you. Use a crappy 1990s BB and be happy. You sound like an enterprise prick.
August 22nd, 2009 at 12:50 pm
RjD: Want my old DOS PC? Fits great with enterprise **** ; crashes every other try.
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:01 pm
great article .. finally one that makes sense of all this malarkey … like a huge weight lifted ..
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:11 pm
@icebike I couldn’t agree more and I love that none of the fanboys are here arguing for apple because they must have realized that their God has fallen.
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:13 pm
@icebike:
Most?
As you would say “citation needed”
Neither I, nor any of the umpteen long-time “Apple fans” and Mac users (and iPhone users) I know, use Google Voice and could care less about this… and they’re not even discussing it. This is only an outrage for those who use Google Voice. I’m not disagreeing with what you and others are complaining about, and I’m certainly not siding with Apple or making excuses for them… just saying those of us who are unaffected and unconcerned about all of this, still don’t think Apple is evil. Sorry to disappoint.
I really hope you and everyone else gets their Google Voice soon…
But my (and several others I know) feelings for Apple haven’t changed one bit… just like my feelings about Bill Clinton didn’t change when HE was caught with Monica, or when he passed NAFTA.
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
My favorite thing in the world is when people on here loudly proclaim the decline of Apple for some arbitrary reason. This time it’s the Google Voice rejection. It’s all over the (faux) news, and it sounds totally soul crushing.
And then next quarter’s smartphone sales will be put out and Apple will have gained marketshare again. Why? Because stuff like Google Voice would be used by maybe 5% of iPhone users. People are willing to make the tradeoff of no Google Voice or Slingplayer over 3G in order to get the iPhone. And they will continue to do that.
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:24 pm
If GV is such a killer app, then Palm, Symbian, WinMo and RIM should have an iPhone killer on their hands in no time, not to mention all those great Android phones flying off the shelves.
And I’m sure Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and the other telcos looooove this app and are planning on installing it on their phones as part of the default software package just like MS will do when it releases WinMo 6.5.
Everyone but Apple loves to open their hardware and software systems to other companies like Google, especially MS. Apple is going down because their terrible, no good, awful, CLOSED model is DOOMED. And the iPhone is just a toy and every app in the app store sucks.
And that $10 billion per year revenue stream Apple created with the iPhone in less than two years, it’s gonna look pitiful compared to all the money Android, Symbian, Palm and the others are gonna start earning real soon.
Only teenagers and doofuses buy iPHones, smart people buy RIM and WimMo.
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:34 pm
@Synthmeister . and this pages Troll award goes to …
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:38 pm
@Travis:
I’ve intentionally avoided posting in these GV threads because I’m a believer that uninterested people should keep their opinions to themselves and just avoid saying anything if it’s not of value. But I felt the comment above was directed toward people like myself, so I replied.
Perhaps some “Fanboys” aren’t here defending their God because they don’t use Google Voice and are just avoiding the entire thread out of disinterest… who knows? I won’t defend Apple or Steve Jobs… if he’s a controlling a-hole, that’s his problem, not mine. I don’t care.
In any event, I have nothing valuable to add about the app being rejected — just about why I should think Apple is evil and join someone else’s fight.
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:39 pm
@Rjd:
No, it goes way beyond that. Its an “Apple Jihadist” problem.
I’m so sick of the Apple Taliban, lips still stained from drinking the cool-aid, running around cutting off fingers of anyone who dares to suggest there is room for improvements in Apple’s products or Apple’s behavior.
Its possible to love the iPhone, and still see and speak about its faults.
Why can’t the Jihadists understand that only thru complaints and public discussion (and federal investigations) can the iPhone and Apple be improved?
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Hey all you enterprise pricks- see you in the year 2020. Have fun playing with Word, Excel and Power Point– I know there’s a whole of innovation in those products left. Spreadsheet anyone???
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:45 pm
@fastlane:
Yeah, sometimes I’m over the top. (see above).
But really, in any discussion about the iPhone or Apple, why is it someone always shows up and tells people who want improvements to take their money and go elsewhere.
You never see this with regard to any other company.
August 22nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I could care less about gvoice. I don’t use it, and to this point haven’t planned on using it. Like a previous comment, I do hope that those who do wish to use it are able too. What is realy interesting to me, is how people are saying how crappy the iPhone is now because of a few rejected apps. Was it crappy before all of this hit news. If so why did you but it? For a lot of you, you not only bought it once but three times over (gen1, gen2 and gen3). I do apprecaite the fact that Apple may be feeling some pressure from Google because it will only cause Apple to become more creative. Competition is good for everyone. But to say Apple is now evil is a but extreme. The iPhone was a good phone (or computer or whatever you want to call it) prior to the gvoice app and will continue to be. I hope Apple dios get into the cloud business (bigger than it’s small foot print now), I hope they do provide there own voip and I hope they do provide whatever other service the small percent of total iPhone users are complaining about. I think they could probably do it better than Google. Apples echo system is top notch. I don’t see anyone that comes close to providing a complete echo system like Apple does and they are only going to get better. The big thing for me, is I would like to run multiple apps. Just because I can’t at this very moment doesn’t mean I won’t be able too. I am sure apple wants people to run multiple apps also and will allow that feature when all the cards fall into place. For those who switching back to their prior phone or service, I would bet one apple 4th or 5 th generation phone comes out, you will be switching back yet again. The phone has been out for what, two, three years. Other companies have been developing phones for 3,5,10 times as long and still are having trouble competeing. It’s a young phone and it will mature.
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:00 pm
@icebike:
“Apple Jihadist!” Nice!
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:02 pm
@Ghop:
Paragraphs, and coherent composition are your friends.
You had good things to say. But reading it was hard.
I don’t see anyone saying the iPhone is crappy. Its clearly the best platform out there. We all love it.
We just want it improved and extended.
It took us 3 years to get copy/paste. We still don’t have MMS.
We don’t want to wait 5 years till we can call Italy on Skype or GV using bandwidth we ALREADY pay for instead of paying $1.29 a minute from our carrier. We want it now.
Is that wrong?
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
@icebike
sorry typing from my Iphone while at work. I’ll try to do better.
The “I want it and I want it now” approach is not necesarrily wrong, if that’s what you want. A little patients is not wrong either.
YOU may think the phone is the best platform, but for all those that are destroying (from previous articles) or going back to their previous phone do think it’s crapp, based on their comments. They are the dame people who will be coming back when it is all said and done.
Hell, I’ll go one stop further and cry bullsh@t. They are not getting rid of their Iphone because they came to the Iphone for a reason and it wasn’t because of the gvoice app.
Again, I hope apple does allow it so they can satisfy that portion of the market. But let’s be “real”, the competition is lacking. Anyone who would take a couple of steps back over the gvoice app is being a litttle silly to me.
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
The good thing From all of this, is Apple is taking a deep look (or so they claim) at they way they do things, in regards to the App Store. HOPEFULLY their will be improvements to follow.
Hopefully they understand that if they don’t provide the services people are asking for, someone else EVENTUALLY will.
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:28 pm
@Ird: by calling me an “enterprise prick” are you saying I have a job? I plead guilty. I’m a small business owner with 2 employees. So I guess having a job must make me an “enterprise prick”
I guess the iPhone is really just a toy. My bad I should have realized that any device that can’t manage to offer copy and paste, and turn by turn nav until 2009, and still can’t sync tasks or docs without a ridiculous work around IS just a toy. A glorified psp with a sub par phone attached to it.
And why? Because Apple is incapable of writing decent software and afraid to compete with others that do. Now we know why MS has always kicked their butt when it comes to PC users.
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Correct me if I am wrong. For those that purchased an Iphone, didn’t you know that it didn’t have CUT/COPY/PASTE or turn by turn at the time of purchase? If you did know, you purchased anyway and complain.
Maybe those who are (or were) complaining should have stuck to their prior phone that had the features they wanted until the Iphone caught up.
August 22nd, 2009 at 2:59 pm
@ghop: I didn’t buy it until those features were added. I thought it HAD finally caught up to the current smartphone technology. And I read all the fanboy blogs without realizing they were just fanboys. Seems to me now that the winmo blogs are more about being accurate in their info and iPhone blogs are more about having a crush on a company.
What is particulary irksome is that the device is more than capable of being more than a glorified toy. So much potential is wasted because of Apple’s insecurity about competing. They’d apparently rather put their money into marketing – some of which is pretty misleading.
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I’m glad you waited. If a product doesn’t have a feature that you can not live without, then the smart thing is to do what you did.
I hear you on the scared to compete thing. I believe Apple feels the heat from google. But this will lead to more competition or Apple will be left behind while android takes over the market. This I can not see Apple allowing. Companies are catching up to Apple (not quite there yet) and will (I hope) push the envelope again. They may have to do it sooner than their road map called for though.
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:27 pm
@Ghop: see #26. You are getting close to the line there Abu Achmed Ghop.
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:32 pm
I think it all comes down to text-messaging revenue. Imagine the extent to which that revenue goes bye-bye if people could simply ‘text’ from their google voice number.
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Part of the role of the DOJ and the FCC is to protect consumers from these kind of policies – just as they did with MS, who were considered the evil empire even though their policies were never nearly as draconian.
Can you imagine how quickly Apple would have filed a complaint with the DOJ if MS had blocked iTunes or iPod sync from working on any MS OS?? If they had they would have a. been sued, and b. no one would own an iPod right now let alone an iPhone.
That is why antitrust laws exist – because these kind of draconian policies hurt consumers and kill innovation. Let’s hope the FCC and/or the DOJ do their jobs and force Apple to stop this nonsense.
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Two points: Why are people so thick? A corporation like Apple, or Microsoft, or Google, are not evil. They are designed to make money selling goods and services. Part of that includes protecting said goods and services in various ways. Apple may feel threatened by Google’s application, and at this point, it is within its right to tell Google no. There seems to be very little competitive issues here–other than upset consumers– because there are other phones and other applications that compete with iPhone and various software.
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:54 pm
@ icebike
my comment:
The good thing From all of this, is Apple is taking a deep look (or so they claim) at they way they do things, in regards to the App Store. HOPEFULLY their will be improvements to follow.
Hopefully they understand that if they don’t provide the services people are asking for, someone else EVENTUALLY will.
——- so i am with you there. All of this publicity will HOPFULLY bring improvements all around.
I am more IRIE than jhadist
August 22nd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
@RjD
Sorry making a bad call there; your just plain stupid.
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Wow, I have to say there is truly some rabid fan-boyism going on here.
1) the issue with Google Voice and the reason the FCC is involved is because someone (most likely Apple, based on their horribly inaccurate & lie filled response) stopped the Google Voice app from coming to the iPhone. Since the iPhone is a platform the same way Windows is a platform, this is a HUGE issue. Government involvement is being done to prevent this from happening again. Microsoft NEVER stopped Netscape or Mozilla from running on Windows like Apple has done with the Google Voice app. THAT is where the problem is. As a consumer I should be able to make the choice of what apps I run on my device. Apple should not get to decide for me.
2) The iPhone is NOT an enterprise device. It just isn’t. I mean come on, I can’t even do ICS calendar invites on my iPhone though this functionality was suppose to be in 3.0. Sure I can do exchange, but sorry, the BlackBerry and WinMo handle Exchange WAY better than the iPhone.
3) If you think that I’m an “enterprise prick” because I’m calling out the issues and pointing out that Apple’s response to the FCC is joke, then you really are nothing more than an Apple fan-boy. A true unbiased opinion can look at the Apple FCC response and go “wow, that’s filled with lies and misleading information” but apparently some people here feel that Apple can truly do no wrong.
4) As far as Google having to pull a Microsoft and find new ground, I disagree, search is still important. Controlling how people find information on the internet is a power tool. Also, Google is still innovating. Google Voice, Google Wave, and so forth are some really nifty technologies. Google took a product that was good (GrandCentral) and made it better. So as far as Google’s ability to innovate, I see more innovation coming from them than Apple. Google is really working to change how people use the internet net. Look at Chrome, Chrome OS, Wave, HTML 5, and their work with App Engine.
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Don’t cry for me you enterprise pricks being left in the dust. Sucks to be left behind by the one company you hate. Sucks to see the world moving forward while you still play with crippled BBs. But all is not lost, you can still text & get funky looking e-mail. Kind of like the DOS days all over again.
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:30 pm
@ Michael Koby
Not fanboyism, just don’t care about the gvoice app that much. Maybe I will be as pasionate in the future, when it is an application I care about.
Those who do care should continue to fight the good fight. It sounds as though the gvoice app is some pretty good stuff, maybe I will be interested somtime in the future.
Again, hopefully Apple will approve the gvoice app. If they don’t, then I guess people will have decision to make, as to keep the iPhone or not.
I will keep it. The Pros outweigh the cons for me at the moment.
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
@tgr: I don’t know where you get your fantasies about how regulatory agencies operate in this country or congress swooping in to save Apple from the very type of anti-trust legislation that congress itself is responsible for writing.
I hate to break it to you but antitrust laws don’t exist to help corps make more money – they exist to protect consumers and foster innovation. That is precisely the purpose of those laws and why they were written. And if you’d put down your iPhone and pick up a history book you’d understand why they are necessary.
Ah the “internets” – the only place where you can find posts by people that start about proclaiming how “thick” everyone is that doesn’t agree with them, the proceed to type out multiple paragraphs that prove they don’t have a clue about the subject they are engaging in. LOL!
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:36 pm
@Ghop
As someone you used Google Voice I am kind of upset that they didn’t approve the app. What upsets me is the blatant lying being done by Apple and the severe amounts of misinformation. You didn’t approve it. Fine. But don’t misinform.
@Ird you have proven your point of view to be both biased and therefore invalid. You want to spout fanboy-ism get a blog of your own. BB devices are solid devices (I came to the iPhone from one), they do what they are designed to do incredibly well. The fact that you can’t make that kind of unbiased assessment just proves that you have no thoughts of your own and you’ll buy whatever Apple is selling, be it a product or lies and misinformation. Move along now.
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:46 pm
@Ird:
admit it – you’re a 12 yr old boy who has never had a job let alone a real smartphone. It’s painfully obvious because while the iPhone is cool hardware it is nowhere near as advanced as winmo in the software department unless your primary interest is in psp type games.
Mail is better, calendar is better, task management is better, databases are better, every single app ported over from winmo to iPhone has less features and functionality…. I could go on and on.
Of course you wouldn’t know that based on Apples marketing campaign. They market better but that’s about it. There is nothing – not a thing groundbreaking about their software or apps. And in fact they are far far behind the times in that regard.
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
@RJD
I Take it you will be swiching back to a winmo phone or some other SMART Phone (if you have not already) as soon as you get the chance.
That,s assing you are using an Iphone.
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:08 pm
@RJD
excuse me, meant to say:
that is assuming you are using the Iphone now.
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:15 pm
@ RjD:
Far behind? Like who’s copying who? Like man you are stupid! This 12 yo is smarter than you!
What do own a lawn mower company with two guys making $5 per hour?
You do make more than GM. Not bad.
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:31 pm
@Ird:
well considering the fact that both winmo and bb existed for over a decade before Apple even thought of building a phone AND that the Iphone still doesn’t have near the functionality of either I would say it’s pretty clear that Apple is copying both of them. Sorry but those are the facts.
@ghop:
Yes I will switching back to winmo soon if this issue with GV is indicative of how Apple will be killing innovation because they are scared to compete. I’m not content to stay in the dark ages software wise even if the hardware is cool. The problem now is I am stuck with crappy ATT service because of Apple’s bs marketing campaign – which really should be “sorry there’s no app for that”
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:37 pm
@Rjd #40
Well said.
August 22nd, 2009 at 5:56 pm
@RJD
I thought you would, given your complete dissatisfaction of the Iphone. I hope you have better luck with winmo phone.
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:20 pm
I don’t have “complete dissatisfaction” with the phone. My dissatisfaction is with Apple’s corporate policies that make it rather clear that as technology advances they are not going to let their users experience it.
Take a gander at the app store. Actually read the app descriptions by developers that flat out apologize for missing features that users request because “apple will not allow them.” Sorry but that is just pathetic.
Sure we’ve heard of software limitations that exist because of a platform that isn’t advanced enough to support certain features. But this is different. This is a corp crippling software dev out of draconian self interest and fear – and short sighted self interest and fear at that. If they don’t change their ways Apple will end up in the dustbin of history just like lots of other companies – only it will be their own fault.
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
In closing, the FCC isn’t going to be able to do much. It’s stcking its fingers where it doesn’t belong. Complain all you want ; this is useless given the circumstances. Apple’s just trying to be polite. They could of just as easily said **** off; but why pick a fight with an organization that’s trying to make itself look relevant by jumping into the hottest trend in technology. Nice try; but what do they say Bout tits on a bull?
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Ohhh boy … Early someone pulled the MMS and COPY&PASTE card. Frightening. Well, In Sweden MMS has been up and running since 3.0 – don’t involve Apple or Google there! But when do anyone with a smartphone use it? Obsolete!
Apple has lot’s of things to fix, learn and do. But priorities hardly comes from these discussions. And I don’t know why GV would be such a revolution? Email and Skype works great all the time.
And finally – using Googles (usually good) services pretty much leaves your (digital) life in their hands. The same with Apple, MS or RiM. Would any of them be better or worse than the other? I don’t think so. They are all in it for the bucks. Either you think their offer is worth your hard earned money and your glorious thinking. Or you don’t.
If any one of them gets too strong in any part, we all will loose out on it. MS dominance is no good. Too much Google is not good. Neither too much Apple.
Ease down! Make your choice but don’t throw **** around you.
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I agree, if apple doesn’t provide the services that people are asking for, someone else will.
This is why I believe they will provide those services, either by allowing the developers the access they need or by providing the applications themselves.
This is why I will stick with the iPhone for now. Consumers are very good at persuading a company to change it’s policies.
Consumers have cried foul ( for good reasons or not, it doesn’t matter) the FCC is starting put pressure on ATT and Apple (which neither company wants) you can be absolutely certain other companies are also paying attention.
Apple, ATTare no more evil or draconian than any large coporate company. All this talk is silly, every company has it’s issues. Apple will bend under pressure as will ATT. there is already talk of them (Att) reviewing ther voip stance and possibly allowing applications to use there 3g networks.
This is why I am not concerned about the evil empire. It’s the consumers who hold the power. I think we tend to get a little carried away sometimes.
Apple has the best complete package when it comes to the Iphone. That’s not to say that there are not items missing in that package. Just weigh the pros and cons and then decide what you want to do.
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:44 pm
With these discussions I have found a problem with Safari in the iPhone. I will soon have no more skin on my finger since I’m scrolling, reloading, scrolling…
Apple – do something!
August 22nd, 2009 at 6:49 pm
@ Distance
haha, I agree….
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:31 pm
To all unhappy with the iPhone, here are some choices:
Palm Pre Android Windows Mobile BlackBerry Nokia ala Symbian Palm Centro
Many with various carriers and various models- stop crying simply because you hate Apple or envy them.
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:39 pm
@Ird: you have serious personality disorder as far as I can tell. So you are no longer part of the discussion for me.
@ghop: I beg to differ on consumers having the power. I am a gadgetholic. I’ve heard and heard and heard about the iPhone from fanboys and the media since 1.0 was intro’ed – and I never heard and it never even occurred to me that Apple would prohibit dev of key features. I just thought they were taking a long time to get up to speed as a smartphone.
The ads and the fanboys give you no clue that it is so purposely crippled. Maybe at some point someone will start a blog pointing THAT out. Unfortunately I don’t have time. But I do have an opinion
August 22nd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
@distance:
no kidding. Every single other smartphone on the market can scroll to the bottom of a page in one fell swoop. Why is this so challenging for Apple?
August 22nd, 2009 at 9:47 pm
@fastlane
Clinton (Bill), NAFTA and Monica…in a forum about iPhones? Wow. Get over 1997-1998. Really, dude. Epic fail..loser.
August 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 pm
@scailasphone:
I used his name to enhance a point relevant to the discussion. You just usd his name completely off-topic and made no iPhone point whatsoever. Congratulations…
I think it’s pretty obvious who has just failed.
August 23rd, 2009 at 2:36 am
Well one thing is for certain…an issue like this one brings out the pettiness in a lot of folks. That’s lame.
Love Apple. Hate Apple. Love Google. Hate Google. Just Hate AT&T. Choose a position and defend it. Fine. But do we have to endure all the “high school” antics, too? You’re a FANBOY! You’re EVIL! Go back to WINMO! Geez, I think someone, here actually had a death wish for Steve Jobs…lame.
To the TOPIC: I was under the impression that the FCC initiated this investigation primarily to ascertain AT&T’s role in the rejection of Google Voice. I don’t think Apple is being asked anything other than to provide an explanation for the rejection(s) and explain the role of AT&T in this…is this correct?
Also, despite two additional generations, this is the first mobile phone from Apple. We aren’t talking about decades of experience in this arena. I had an expectation that the iPhone would be “green” for some time.
But…as far as Apple, the company; it has been in other markets long enough to know better…no excuses there.
August 23rd, 2009 at 7:31 am
@spicerak2 – well spoken in all parts.
One more thing – I sincearly think Apple and others had been cought off guard a bit. They realice the power of letting the world contribute. However it’s not the first time this approach produces unexpected results. For their own sake I would hope they know how to take advantage of it. The topic here is on corporate strategy more than tech freedom. I think the smart move is to select your core and run. And to be honest – Google is a success, but their pace in organic innovation is slowing down. And their business models are to some extent in question. They soon want to do everything. Not focused anymore. Too greedy.
Apple is still pretty focused. If they stay focused they will prevail as the marketleader I see there. If they get too greedy they will loose. my view Apple is
August 24th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Apple hating competition and freedom? How could this be?
August 24th, 2009 at 9:32 am
I have a simpler motive, and reason… Verizon and other international partners, not just AT&T. What google voice offers, especially on Verizon, or for folks on AT&T who ALSO have an AT&T landline and the unity plan, is a way to get unlimited calling wihtou using airtime minutes to do so, and a way to send SMS without fees.
Apple, as part of their contract with AT&T, as well as i’m sure with negotiations with Verizon and others, has some clause requiring them not to compete with, not allow the use of apps that compete with, fee based services from the providers.
Apple already fought AT&T on how they wanted to use MMS (e-mail, “MMS is unnecessary when you can send pictures in e-amil for free” remember that?), and they fought AT&T and others on ringtones, coming up with a solution that cost %25 of AT&T’s ringtone offering. If Apple let a phone on the device that could directly replace SMS (a viable, multiplatform, backgroundable chat app for instance, back ended by a 3rd party like google), and then further allowed VoIP or the equivalent, AT&T could stand to loose hundreds of dollars per year per phone, amounting to billions in lost revenue.
Do you really think on a hard core web connected platform like the iPhone that AT&T, and EVERY OTHER PROVIDER, would not have fought VERY HARD to ensure contract clauses that prevented Apple from releasing ANY apps that permitted bypassing fee based, minute based, or message based services, especially with the iPhone data plan having started at $20 including some texts and unlimited data where blackberry plans on the same network were $55 and came with data caps?
I’d be looking not at whether AT&T or Apple blocked the google voice app due to concerns over who’s got a bigger app presence, or whether AT&T interfered, but I’d look at the contract negotiations ongoing with Verizon, and clauses requireing apple to deny such services outright. I doubt AT&T caled up apple and said “reject this” and I doubt Apple is “holding the app” for study of how its replacing their core services (though if it’s doing somethign uder the covers by changing the phone number the decice responds to and how it sends MMS, that might really be a concern).
August 24th, 2009 at 10:21 am
As a developer who has just canceled a development project for the iphone, here’s a different perspective: Apple’s introduction of uncertainty into the approval process means that investing in the platform is an imprudent business decision.
My team is now looking at going purely web-based, with a generic 480 pixel-wide interface and optimizations for iphone and blackberry interfaces based on browser detection.
In the meantime I think Apple should be forced to spin off its iphone os into a separate company with a 3rd-party board for approval of iphone apps, giving no advantage to apple.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Can Apple compete with free? Quite a few Google applications are free, financed directly or indirectly by advertising. Is Apple going to become an advertising company?
And if not, what will they charge? I’m not particularly impressed with what they’re charging now for MobileMe and iDisk. They’d have to offer much more for much less to get my business. I’d also be ticked off (like I am about Google Voice), if they tried to force me into their schemes. If the services cost money (unlike iTunes) the FTC just might regard their coercion as illegal bundling. I doubt a business plan where, if you buy an iPhone or Mac, you have to subscribe to Apple Voice rather than Google Voice would pass muster in court. Both AT&T and IBM got in big trouble for similar obsessions with control.
How multi-platform are they going to be? Locking down access to iPods meant they had to create parallel versions of iTunes for Macs and Windows. Are their Google-supplanting apps going to be multi-platform? If not, those who use several platforms for their computers and smart phones, will be unhappy. Macs and iPhones would live in pleasant little resorts, isolated from the rest of the world.
Finally, Apple and Google seem to be behaving like grade-school boys arguing about whose dad is bigger. There are many, many applications for Macs and iPhones that don’t have an Apple version. Does it really make sense to just fret about Word or Google Voice because they come from giant corporations and ignore highly popular and successful applications just because the parent isn’t a giant? And can we be sure that if Apple blocks competition from giants, it won’t someday block the little guys from what it regards as its ever-expanding turf. There are hints it’s already doing that for the iPhone.
Apple needs to learn to live with competition by beating it with something better. I don’t like seeing Google Voice blocked. I’d rather seen an Apple product, in part because I tire of Google knowing everything about me. Apple already has a ‘home court’ advantage. Typically, someone else’s application has to be significantly better before we use it rather than Apple’s.
For Apple, it ought to be enough that living in an Apple orchard is a bit more convenient than foraging in the wilds. They shouldn’t try to fence us in and insist we eat only their fruit.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:51 am
I just wanted to clarify one point which I thought the author was not clear, or perhaps misinformed.
The Android platform, while unable to handle VoIP apps at its release, has been updated a few times and has, in fact, been able to use VoIP apps for quite a while now.
This is mentioned in Andy Rubin’s response that has been widely referenced.
On a side note, I have never owned an iPhone, and I purchased a G1 about four months ago. I think that most of the “polish” is fine, but some of the features that I think the phone should have are not here yet. So, while I find the phone to be solid, bug-free and a good performer, I still can’t believe that Android has not fixed its Bluetooth implementation to the point of re-inclusion yet.
No doubt that rejecting Google Voice was perhaps a very smart move on Apple’s part, and Apple definitely has the option to do so. I think most people (myself included) would just like them to say so, and stop the FUD, although I can also see why they don’t want to come out and be that open about it–that’s just not good business.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:51 am
The biggest problem Apple has is an old one and of its own making: Their OS is wedded to their hardware. So what if they build a bunch of cloud services to compete with Google’s? Only people who use Apple devices will use those services. Apple is a walled garden. Google can go anywhere, to any device and to any OS. Apple is screwed.
August 24th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Addendum: I was re-reading my post and wanted to clarify that Android (and the G1) has Bluetooth hardware, and it does work, but it has limited functionality. Without rooting the phone, I cannot send/receive contact info, photos, etc., and can’t hook it into my car, which is equipped with Sync and can route the phone through the speakers.
August 24th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
What I find great is that Apple rejects Google Voice, but there’s a great alternative that Apple does endorse which is YouMail (www.youmail.com)’s visual voicemail app.
So it’s either because Google IS Google, or some of the extra features that encroach on Apple’s turf.