What’s up with the Google Voice App Store deletions?
By Ronald O Carlson
There is really no good way to spin this story, which is becoming a rallying point for critics of Apple’s often capricious approval app approval (and removal) process. Further, open platform and open network advocates have latched onto this case because of its obvious anti-competitive implications.
Tech Crunch reports that, whereas Apple has pulled Google Voice-enabled apps with the justification that they “duplicate features that come with the iPhone,” the company has refused to approve Google Voice, the stand-alone application, for sale on the App Store.
“We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone,” says a Google spokesman. “Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store.”
Thereupon, Google says that it will continue development of these apps for Safari. Yes, that’s right, the cloud people will continue to develop for the cloud having been rebuffed by the device-optimized + cloud software people. The irony of the situation is really quite appalling.
See also:
— AT&T will falter at end of iPhone deal
— More testing yields more of the same: AT&T rots
— AT&T: ‘We’ve been very happy with our pricing’
— AT&T says iPhone exclusive is good for everyone
Malodorous wafts of anticompetitive behavior
The real twists here is that Google Voices allows for free SMS messaging (AT&T charges $0.20 each) and really, really cheap international calling, which is an area where Ma Bell has received a lot of well deserved criticism.
So, are these the absolute, beyond a doubt reasons for Apple’s removal and then blocking of Google Voice everything? Well, no. Maybe the U.S. federal government’s examination of exclusive telco and hardware maker deals really should become a thing of the past.
Nevertheless, if you’ve got a better and more reasonable explanation, please by all means share, because as of right now Apple’s looking like AT&T’s—reviled bastards—biggest enabler. That’s a distinction that perhaps Apple will have a hard living down…
What’s your take?
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on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
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