Why AT&T Killed iPhone Google Voice

ZuchinniOne writes "The Wall Street Journal has a very interesting article about the likely reasons that AT&T and Apple killed the Google Voice application. 'With Google Voice, you have one Google phone number that callers use to reach you, and you pick up whichever phone — office, home or cellular — rings. You can screen calls, listen in before answering, record calls, read transcripts of your voicemails, and do free conference calls. Domestic calls and texting are free, and international calls to Europe are two cents a minute. In other words, a unified voice system, something a real phone company should have offered years ago.'"

Comments

AT&T denies it

[davebarnes]

AT&T told the FCC that they did not have it killed.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/21/att-to-fcc-we-did-not-block-the-google-voice-app-on-the-iphone/

Full List

[TejWC]

Here is a full list for the lazy:

• A single Google number for all user's phones.
• Free calls and SMS in the contiguous US and Canada.
• Calling International phone numbers for as low as 0.01 USD per minute.
• Call screening. Announce callers based on their number or by an automated identification request for blocked numbers.
• Listen in on someone recording a voicemail before taking a call.
• Block calls.
• Send, receive, and store SMS online.
• Answer an incoming call on any of your phones.
• Phone routing. Choose which phones should ring based on who calls.
• Forwarding phones.
• Voicemail transcripts. Read voicemails online.
• Listen to voicemail online or from a phone.
• Receive notifications of voicemails via email or SMS.
• Personalized greeting that vary greetings by caller.
• The ability to forward or download voicemails.
• Conference calling.
• Record calls and store them online.
• Switch phones during a call.
• View the web inbox from a mobile device/phone.
• Set preferences for contacts by group.
• Ability to change your number for a fee.

AT&T had nothing to do with it, apparently

[Ignis Fatuusz]

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/apple-answers-fcc-questions/ An unusual move for Apple, but apparently pretty straighforward.

Apple Admits It, Sort Of

[DannyO152]

And Apple said today it isn't killed, but still under review because it interferes with the iPhone interface. Here is their rationalization for their actions in what they claim is their response to the FCC.

My thanks to daringfireball and John Gruber for bringing this letter to my attention.

Apple Just Admitted To It - Now You Look Foolish

[Anonymous Coward]

Apple just admitted that it was them and not AT&T.

http://www.apple.com/hotnews/apple-answers-fcc-questions/?sr=hotnews.rss

So much for all that crap you just wrote.

It will be funny to see all the Apple fanboys who were screaming "It was big bad AT&T and not my PRECIOUS Apple who was the bad guy!!!" and how their fanboy minds deal with this news.

Man, Apple couldn't possibly be blowing it more than they are. Google Voice is amazing.

Re:No.

[Enry]

AT&T killed google voice because the "Killer App" that the iPhone has (visual voicemail) is completely, totally, and utterly DESTROYED by it.

If you haven't used google voice, let me explain. Somebody leaves you a voicemail on your GV number. Google does voice recognition on it, and sends you an email of the text. In the email is a little widget that allows you to play the audio.

[...]

The voice recognition of GV is about as good as the handwriting recognition of the original Newton.

Here's what my brother actually said:

Hello, Happy Birthday my brother.

What GV said he said:

Hello, The bird say my brought their.

Fortunately, the audio was available, so I was able to easily hear what he said, but the other GV transcript I got from my wife wasn't much better (the drugstore CVS got turned into "we're going to see me yes").

Google Voice is nice, and I like using it, but don't think it's a miracle app.

Re:Google Voice Is Incredible

[whoop]

Have you ever clicked on the link labeled "Settings" on the Google Voice page? Down there a ways is a checkbox with the words "Transcribe Voicemails" next to it. Remove the checkmark there, and then click the "Save Settings" button right below it.