Apple says it didn't reject Google Voice app, it's just "reviewing" it; AT&T says leave us alone

By on Aug 21, 2009 at 5:29 PM
News August 21, 2009

It looks like the FCC’s bravado move to lay some smack down on both Apple and AT&T has pretty much unearthed a whole heap of nothing. AT&T and Apple have just released their responses to those now infamous letters the FCC sent to Apple, AT&T and Google over the whole Google Voice debacle. AT&T’s position is best summed when it said that it had “no role in any decision by Apple to not accept the Google Voice application”, while Apple’s response is pretty damn classic. You see, Apple is claiming that this is all just a misunderstanding and that it didn’t reject the official Google Voice app, it’s just taking its sweet ass time reviewing it in full. Why? Because it’s has two major concerns:

1. “[Google Voice] appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone’s core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail.”

2. The iPhone user’s entire Contacts database is transferred to Google’s servers, and we have yet to obtain any assurances from Google that this data will only be used in appropriate ways. These factors present several new issues and questions to us that we are still pondering at this time.”

Anyone abreast on anything Apple-related knows there’s a multitude of applications available for download or purchase that duplicate many different parts of the iPhone interface so we’ll leave the comments to you, as always.

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  • a

    way to show your insecurity apple.

  • Mark Texas

    I still don’t understand why people can’t grasp the fact that at&t is not a damn broadband pipe and applications that use their backbone as such as not permitted. Over WiFi – knock yourself out.

    Wireless networks do not have the throughput to keep up with the demand of such apps used by millions of people.

    Apple is just acting like a Dbag and think all the sheep who bought iPods (who were clueless how to sync music onto a digital playe) now need the same hand holding with iPhone. I’m sorry but iPhone is more a pc and the day someone starts to limit how I can use the technology is the moment I spend my money elsewhere.

    Apple is the Fisherprice of mobility.

  • Pete Belk

    Seems to me that once a person purchases an Iphone, he/she becomes the rightful owner of said Iphone, therefore he/she can do what ever he/she so desires with device, i.e. apps, downloads, apple sounds alot like our current administration , they want to control the end user as much as possible.

  • http://Twitter.com/FollowSaien Sai-en

    I think both had involvement in the decision making process. BUT, I believe it was more of AT&T’s decision than Apple’s because Apple has nothing to loose from the users use of GV because Apple is not providing cellular service nor losing/ money from contracts!

    ARt has the most to lose because GV offers a way for At&t customers to make calls, SMS etc, at CHEAPER RATES- all while exploiting AT&t’s systems! It’s AT&T who’s is at the most risk, not Apple.

  • IRodJr

    so much for “disabling Apple’s Visual Voicemail”… isn’t that exactly what YouMail does?Not that it bothers me in any way, as I’m a YouMail user myself…but please Apple, can’t you try to at least make it a bit less obvious?

    How about AT&T Virtual Receptionist and RingCentral Mobile apps? Where do these 2 fall? Any particular reason these 2 were approved and remain at the app store?

    Just me thinking out loud here.

  • Barry

    how can Apple be reviewing it? it was pulled. I was using the light version on 3.0 for a week before it disappeared… read “pulled”.

  • JOE

    WHY IS NO 3G AVAILABLE FOR SLINGBOX STILL!??!!

  • Fanboy

    Looks to many that Apple & AT&T are crippling the iPhone. And people on here said it was only Verizon that did this sort of thing! Shame on you Fanboys!

  • Ron

    There are a bunch of blathering boobs on this thread. Waaaa- Waaa -Waaa.

  • Gary

    Did you see the part of the article where AT&T isn’t to blame?

  • http://www.v2lab.com/theory Mr. Hi-Definition

    Sure they are…

  • victorythagr8

    too bad ATT let Blackberry have google voice.

  • Orga

    I’m sure AT&T has tried to put their two cents in when it comes to stopping iPhone users from getting the full 3G experience with their phones(see: SlingPlayer, Skype, Qik to a lesser degree now), but stop acting like Apple hasn’t been inconsistent – to say the least – when it comes to what they do and don’t accept.

    Apologists for international corporations are, almost without exception, fucking idiots. Just because I’ve had nothing but good experiences with NVIDIA cards doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore you or call you an idiot if you say you’ve had a bad one.

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