Apple's app flap: Don't blame AT&T

August 10, 2009, 2:57pm PDT | Length: 00:01:29
ZDNet Senior Editor Sam Diaz shares his views on the recent iPhone related controversy--Apple’s rejection of Google Voice. He says, AT&T was not behind the app rejection and that Apple should adopt it because it has already approved other VoIP apps such as Skype.

Transcript

Apple's app flap: Don't blame AT&T

Background music

>> You may have heard that Apple recently rejected the Google Voice App for the iPhone. But what I couldn't figure out was why some critics are trying to make AT&T look like the bad guy. Suddenly there were questions about whether AT&T was involved in that decision. But the way I see it there's no way AT&T was involved in that. Anyone who has used Google Voice understands that it isn't actually a phone technology. Google Voice uses the web to initiate a phone call but it still requires a land line or mobile phone service to place and receive those calls. If Google voice calls are initiated and processed over a mobile device, AT&T's actually double dipping on that call because it started on the data network but completed over the voice network. Even though Apple hasn't commented publically on the app rejection and we don't know the answers to the questions that Washington regulators are suddenly asking about it, it seems obvious that Apple, not AT&T was the driving force behind it. In fact AT&T actually went on the record with a brief statement saying that it had no part in the rejection of Google's app. As for me, I believe AT&T. I don't know why Apple would want to reject the Google Voice App seeing how it doesn't really compete in that space and it's already approved other VoIP apps such as Skype. Obviously Apple had its reasons but I won't be holding my breath waiting for Stew Jobs and company to explain those reasons to me.

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Talkback Most Recent of 4 Talkback(s)

  • All Th&T glitters is not gold
    we wouldn't want to install software that loosens the ties
    that bind, now, would we?
    ZDNet Gravatar
    fjpoblam
    12th Aug 2009
  • Let me see if I get this straight
    Don't blame AT&T, it isn't like they'll benefit from the
    denial anyway.

    Blame Apple... who doesn't seem to be benefiting from it
    being denied anyway?

    Please, tell me how your logic makes any sense.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Michael Alan Goff
    13th Aug 2009
  • RE: Apple's app flap: Don't blame AT&T
    AT@T has been so busy ******* up everything else
    possible with the iPhone service they didn't have time for
    this one. In the grand scheme this is so minor. How about
    getting MMS functioning? The auto-login thing at
    Starbucks is mess as well. Neither of those problems are
    Apple related. It's all AT@T.

    AT@T has been so unresponsive an generally incompetent
    it's a wonder there isn't a class action that would allow
    contract hostages to jump ship with no penalty. I love my
    iPhone but so miss the simple days of tMobile when things
    just worked.

    Not that I really have an opinion of feel strongly about any
    of this. happy
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Christian C Spence
    24th Aug 2009
  • RE: Apple's app flap: Don't blame AT&T
    Following is excerpt from Apple's response to FCCon an
    iPhone, the ?Phone? icon that is always shown at the
    bottom of the Home Screen launches Apple?s mobile
    telephone application, providing access to Favorites,
    Recents, Contacts, a Keypad, and Visual Voicemail. The
    Google Voice application replaces Apple?s Visual Voicemail
    by routing calls through a separate Google Voice telephone
    number that stores any voicemail, preventing voicemail
    from being stored on the iPhone, i.e., disabling Apple?s
    Visual Voicemail. Similarly, SMS text messages are
    managed through the Google hub?replacing the iPhone?s
    text messaging feature. In addition, 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.

    So rather than blabbering nonsense research why Google is
    rejected. I don't want them messing with anything much
    less copying my contacts onto their computers.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    revance@...
    26th Aug 2009

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