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Google Voice iPhone app rejected

63 points by nreece 17y ago

octover 17y ago
The Apple apologists say it cuts into Apple's recurring revenue stream. This is based on speculation that Apple is receiving a fixed amount per iPhone subscriber every month. Though even this speculation says it is a fixed amount for each subscriber and is not based on how much the monthly phone bill is. I like my iPhone, I like developing for the iPhone, but moves like this are making me reconsider.
teilo 17y ago
And once again, Apple is shooting itself in the foot. Do they really think that Google will just lie back and take this? I mean, is it really a good idea to piss off a company that has: way more money, a massive talent pool, a customer base which contains of a very large number of iPhone users, and an OS platform that directly completes with Apple's flagship product?
- okeumeni 17y ago
  Does it mean Apple should just take any bulls* from Google? All these guys protect their share of the pie; Google do the same crap.
  - jobu 17y ago
    Yeah, but they shouldn't do things like this at the expense of their users. This definitely makes for a poorer user experience.
- dminor 17y ago
  I dunno, I think Google knows the DOJ is waiting for an excuse to come after them, and it's hardly worth the risk over something that has no impact on their bottom line.
  - jrockway 17y ago
    If anything, the iPhone rejection weakens any case against Google. Google creates a way to make free phone calls. Google wants to let its competitors use that, but the competitors won't allow it. Google is trying to play nice, but Apple won't let them. They could restrict GV to Android, but they chose not to.
    - mbreese 17y ago
      The potential DOJ interest in Google isn't about android, it's about advertising. Playing nice in a non-core area won't win you any points from the DOJ in another.
  - teeja 17y ago
    Hmmm ... when you've got Google's kind of money, the Feds will raid small nations for you.
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
zacharypinter 17y ago
"GV Mobile developer Sean Kovacs relays a phone call he had with Apple where he was notified of his app being removed from the iTunes store for duplicating built-in iPhone features." It's worth noting that instead of actually addressing the AppStore approval process, apple is trying to get around the controversy by sending rejections by phone. The idea being that it's more difficult to show an official record of Apple saying what they said. Ironically, Google voice can help there with call recording :) I wonder if Apple's worried about an upcoming lawsuit?
- tumult 17y ago
  Maybe. I wonder what happens if there's a ruling forcing them to stop stuff like this? Will it let them get out of whatever contractual agreements they've made with AT&T which are affecting their behavior in regards to the App Store? A part of me likes the idea that Apple will continue to make increasingly bad PR moves while discreetly pointing a finger at AT&T.
- jseifer 17y ago
  I know Apple has been arguably hostile towards developers with the app store approval process but it's got to be really demoralizing to have your app verbally approved by someone so high up and then taken out of the app store entirely after it's been available for a while. I wonder if any of these devs will release the apps for jailbroken phones?
- bkudria 17y ago
  Lesson learned: If you pick up the phone and it's Apple, request an email or letter, and hang up. Or maybe, ask to start recording?
  - snprbob86 17y ago
    It would be easier to record if the call came in via Google Voice...
crescendo 17y ago
Apple is making a huge mistake here. I love my iPhone, but in the wake of this GV business, I find myself seriously considering a switch to an Android phone. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm sure I'm not the only iPhone fan out there who feels this way.
- bjplink 17y ago
  How many people out there know someone with an Android phone? I personally don't know anyone but I run in a decidedly non-techie social circle. I think we sometimes think our outrage over "huge mistakes" have something in common with the general population's attitude when that is most definitely not the case. Issues like removing Google Voice apps to protect their core business won't cause enough of a mass exodus to competing phones to make Apple flinch because the majority of people interested in an iPhone don't give a damn or know what Google Voice is. Full disclosure: I'm an extremely satisfied iPhone owner.
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
    - bjplink 17y ago
      I'm not 100% sure Google Voice is a valid example for this theory but here goes: By accepting applications that compete with the iPhone's core capabilities they stand to lose way more revenue than they do by angering some nerds by banning the application in the first place. Here's a question. Does Apple really need tech geeks for the iPhone to be successful anymore? It's already a mainstream success, the large majority of users are probably not tech oriented at this point and the hardcore types (whom, I'm sorry, represent a small market share) are already more interested in Android phones because they like the "hacker" feel of it's operating system.
      - ROFISH 17y ago
        Who is "they"? Apple or AT&T? While most of Apple's app acceptance policies are weird, most can be attributed to the soccer mom effect. ("Tonight on NBC Action News, watch as little Timmy downloads hard pornography on his iPod! Also, is a sex predator stalking your daughter on her iPhone, more at 10!") I can bet that banning GV is definitely an AT&T issue. And it isn't the first time as they strongarmed the Slingbox app too.
sfphotoarts 17y ago
Vote with your feet, don't buy the iPhone. There are a lot of arguably better smartphones out there that are not handicapped in the way that the iPhone is.
- misuba 17y ago
  They're all handicapped in other ways, though. And sadly, the handicap that seems to matter most to most people is "no apps." Vote with your feet; write something cool for Android.
teeja 17y ago
I'm still waiting to read something about an Android fon written by someone who can tell me about its pitfalls. There's very little press about them, other than reactions to PR.

63 points by nreece 17y ago

The Apple apologists say it cuts into Apple's recurring revenue stream. This is based on speculation that Apple is receiving a fixed amount per iPhone subscriber every month. Though even this speculation says it is a fixed amount for each subscriber and is not based on how much the monthly phone bill is. I like my iPhone, I like developing for the iPhone, but moves like this are making me reconsider.

teilo 17y ago

And once again, Apple is shooting itself in the foot. Do they really think that Google will just lie back and take this? I mean, is it really a good idea to piss off a company that has: way more money, a massive talent pool, a customer base which contains of a very large number of iPhone users, and an OS platform that directly completes with Apple's flagship product?

okeumeni 17y ago
Does it mean Apple should just take any bulls* from Google? All these guys protect their share of the pie; Google do the same crap.
- jobu 17y ago
  Yeah, but they shouldn't do things like this at the expense of their users. This definitely makes for a poorer user experience.
dminor 17y ago
I dunno, I think Google knows the DOJ is waiting for an excuse to come after them, and it's hardly worth the risk over something that has no impact on their bottom line.
- jrockway 17y ago
  If anything, the iPhone rejection weakens any case against Google. Google creates a way to make free phone calls. Google wants to let its competitors use that, but the competitors won't allow it. Google is trying to play nice, but Apple won't let them. They could restrict GV to Android, but they chose not to.
  - mbreese 17y ago
    The potential DOJ interest in Google isn't about android, it's about advertising. Playing nice in a non-core area won't win you any points from the DOJ in another.
- teeja 17y ago
  Hmmm ... when you've got Google's kind of money, the Feds will raid small nations for you.

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

zacharypinter 17y ago

"GV Mobile developer Sean Kovacs relays a phone call he had with Apple where he was notified of his app being removed from the iTunes store for duplicating built-in iPhone features." It's worth noting that instead of actually addressing the AppStore approval process, apple is trying to get around the controversy by sending rejections by phone. The idea being that it's more difficult to show an official record of Apple saying what they said. Ironically, Google voice can help there with call recording :) I wonder if Apple's worried about an upcoming lawsuit?

tumult 17y ago
Maybe. I wonder what happens if there's a ruling forcing them to stop stuff like this? Will it let them get out of whatever contractual agreements they've made with AT&T which are affecting their behavior in regards to the App Store? A part of me likes the idea that Apple will continue to make increasingly bad PR moves while discreetly pointing a finger at AT&T.
jseifer 17y ago
I know Apple has been arguably hostile towards developers with the app store approval process but it's got to be really demoralizing to have your app verbally approved by someone so high up and then taken out of the app store entirely after it's been available for a while. I wonder if any of these devs will release the apps for jailbroken phones?
bkudria 17y ago
Lesson learned: If you pick up the phone and it's Apple, request an email or letter, and hang up. Or maybe, ask to start recording?
- snprbob86 17y ago
  It would be easier to record if the call came in via Google Voice...

crescendo 17y ago

Apple is making a huge mistake here. I love my iPhone, but in the wake of this GV business, I find myself seriously considering a switch to an Android phone. I can't speak for everyone, but I'm sure I'm not the only iPhone fan out there who feels this way.

bjplink 17y ago
How many people out there know someone with an Android phone? I personally don't know anyone but I run in a decidedly non-techie social circle. I think we sometimes think our outrage over "huge mistakes" have something in common with the general population's attitude when that is most definitely not the case. Issues like removing Google Voice apps to protect their core business won't cause enough of a mass exodus to competing phones to make Apple flinch because the majority of people interested in an iPhone don't give a damn or know what Google Voice is. Full disclosure: I'm an extremely satisfied iPhone owner.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
  - bjplink 17y ago
    I'm not 100% sure Google Voice is a valid example for this theory but here goes: By accepting applications that compete with the iPhone's core capabilities they stand to lose way more revenue than they do by angering some nerds by banning the application in the first place. Here's a question. Does Apple really need tech geeks for the iPhone to be successful anymore? It's already a mainstream success, the large majority of users are probably not tech oriented at this point and the hardcore types (whom, I'm sorry, represent a small market share) are already more interested in Android phones because they like the "hacker" feel of it's operating system.
    - ROFISH 17y ago
      Who is "they"? Apple or AT&T? While most of Apple's app acceptance policies are weird, most can be attributed to the soccer mom effect. ("Tonight on NBC Action News, watch as little Timmy downloads hard pornography on his iPod! Also, is a sex predator stalking your daughter on her iPhone, more at 10!") I can bet that banning GV is definitely an AT&T issue. And it isn't the first time as they strongarmed the Slingbox app too.

sfphotoarts 17y ago

Vote with your feet, don't buy the iPhone. There are a lot of arguably better smartphones out there that are not handicapped in the way that the iPhone is.

misuba 17y ago
They're all handicapped in other ways, though. And sadly, the handicap that seems to matter most to most people is "no apps." Vote with your feet; write something cool for Android.

teeja 17y ago

I'm still waiting to read something about an Android fon written by someone who can tell me about its pitfalls. There's very little press about them, other than reactions to PR.