Apple Blocks Google Voice Apps from the App Store: Creates Disappointment among Users and Developers

The latest news, which concerns almost every iPhone developer as well as the users, is the news of Apple rejecting and pulling out all Google Voice enabled applications from the App Store. The company cited the fact that the apps they have banned from the store as they duplicates the features that comes with the device itself. Not only that, Apple has even blocked Google’s official Google Voice application from the App Store. In other words, it is likely that iPhone users will no more have the advantage of using Google Voice, which indeed is one of the best telephony services that a smart phone user could ever think of. Therefore the news of Apples withdrawal and rejection of all GV apps has likely offended users and developers throughout the world.

Apple’s action has initiated a cold conflict between Apple and Google, which most fear could become the end of some amazing experiences that users could have otherwise enjoyed on their iPhones. According to a report, a spokesperson from Google said – “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.”

The Google Voice service basically allows users to select a phone number and have it ring all of their phones at the same time. It further allows users to screen callers while they leave voicemail or choose not to have certain phones ring during certain specified times. Moreover the service sends recording of the voicemails to the mail box of the user along with machine transcriptions. GV Mobile, a third-party iPhone app was the first to be removed from the store. The application allowed Google Voice service subscribers to dial numbers from the built-in iPhone address book, send SMS, playback system for voicemails and also make international calls in cheap rates. Other programs supporting Google Voice such as GVdialer and VoiceCentral were also pulled from the store for being an imitation of the device’s built-in features.

However, there has been a lot of speculation regarding the cause behind Apple’s rejection and most have agreed that AT&T plays a huge role behind it. It seems that Google’s Voice’s lines actually scares the carriers as it allows sending free SMS messages, making long distance calls on cheap rates as well as voice recording and forwarding. Well, whatever the reason may be, it is confirmed that for the time being, iPhone app developer and users will not be developing or getting applications that implement Google’s Voice services for the iPhones.