First Google Voice App Hits the App Store

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First Google Voice App Hits the App Store

Posted by timothy on Friday September 17, 2010 @01:16PM from the waiting-for-cheaper-data dept.

silverpig writes "The first Google Voice app has hit the app store, and it's called GV Connect. Providing a front end to the Google Voice service, GV Connect allows users of devices running Apple iOS platform to have a native app with which to interact with Google Voice. What will be interesting to note is the order that these apps are approved in. I know Sean Kovacs was first out with GV Mobile back before Apple banned Google Voice, and while he is in the approval pipeline, this other app has some first mover advantage. I wonder what it means when Google gets their app officially approved, as surely it'll be free."

18 of 95 comments (clear)

Fail by Kickboy12 · 2010-09-17 13:17 · Score: 5, Insightful

No Push Notifications = Fail
Basically just a front-end for the web interface. Not worth the money.

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1. Re:Fail by rickyb · 2010-09-17 13:37 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  No, this is a front-end to the web interface. At least it has all the other Google Apps as well.
2. Re:Fail by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-17 13:40 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Sean has said he wants to implement push notifications ASAP... Look for it in the future I'm sure.
3. Re:Fail by jpapon · 2010-09-17 14:10 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  woh you have a keyboard where "=" doesn't require a shift key?
  
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4. Re:Fail by MikeFM · 2010-09-17 14:24 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  The iOS versus Android argument to me comes down to that I prefer open source but what is the point of having the source to crap. Not that Android is really crap but the UI is poorly designed and the lack of control of end devices by Google results in a wide, and confusing, user experience. I get frustrated at the number of people new to open source or not even developers that like to rant about the evil that is Apple and the good that is Google. Obviously they haven't a lot of experience with the nice way Google makes it difficult to hack around on other devices they sell such as the Google Search Appliances (which I have). I think both Apple and Google are leading technology companies and both make some great products.
  If I was going to make my own device I'd start with Android to build from but I'd copy a lot of iOS design decisions at the UI level and iDevice design decisions. I'd also keep a lot more control than Google has done as I think Android gets a lot of the negative light coming off of the devices it runs on. And many devices are difficult to even run an unlocked copy of Android on which defeats the entire benefit of having the source. And comparable Android devices are no cheaper, and often are even more expensive, than an iDevice. I'm looking for a good Android tablet to develop on but there Google seems to be unsure if they want to push Android or Chrome OS.
  Apple's biggest short coming is lack of third party devices. If I was Google, along with fixing the UI and ecosystem issues, I'd be all over that as a way to really be better than Apple. I'm not talking supporting USB and SD, which are anti-features IMO, but defining good interfaces for mobile devices, licensing it for free, and really pushing it.
  Since nobody is paying me to make my own device I'm going to choose to own iDevices. At least until I see an equal Android device and see the Android ecosystem become equal.
  
  --
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5. Re:Fail by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-17 14:28 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  What? On US keyboards, = doesn't require a shift key.
6. Re:Fail by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-17 15:51 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  In terms of software obviously having an open platform is way better.
  The carriers certainly agree, and they love the fact that Android is open, because it allows them to maintain control of the device and lock users to their own services!
  Yay for open source: maintaining the "wireless carriers fuck over their customers" status quo. What a triumph of the noble ideals of FOSS.
  If all you can say is "Android is open," as an improvement over iOS, then it's not an improvement, because for the vast majority of people, it's just as locked down as an iPhone. For about .001% of the phone-buying market, it's "open". For the rest, it's simply a tool the carriers will use to control the customers.
7. Re:Fail by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-17 19:51 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  "And for good reason, superior hardware is expensive. For instance, Steve Jobs was given the chance to make the iPhone 4 with a Super-AMOLED screen, a bigger screen, and with a GPU three times faster."
  You know, I can understand if you complain about one of the actual disadvantages in an iPhone 4, but you're making shit up at this point. Super-AMOLED is fail, and even Samsung is moving away from it now. As for a bigger screen, how big do you want? I think some of the 5" devices are a little bit big. I'd rather not go back to wearing a beltclip from 1996 for my phone, thanks. If that works for you, that's great --- but it's not a coincidence that nearly all other phones on the planet are smaller than that. And which phone has a 3x better GPU? I'm genuinely curious. What benchmarks?
  I'm not even going to bother breaking down your ChromeOS v. Android comparison. Do you even understand basic computer technology? Your introduction of active/passive cooling into the argument is so ridiculous that it's mind-boggling.
Re:A Better Google Story by wmbetts · 2010-09-17 14:17 · Score: 4, Insightful

wtf is going on with people pretending slashdot comments are twitter now?

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Re:A Better Google Story by jdong · 2010-09-17 14:19 · Score: 2, Funny

@wmbetts it's not?
*Apple App Store by placatedmayhem · 2010-09-17 14:34 · Score: 2, Informative

Can people quit saying "the app store" when they mean "the Apple app store"? This usage bothers me because it assumes there are no other app stores (or at least none worth mentioning). Android Market is the notable rub here and there are at least ruminations plenty more popping up all the time. On top of this, and probably more importantly, it's confusing and ambiguous until you get half way through the summary and realize they're talking about something else entirely.
1. Re:*Apple App Store by socsoc · 2010-09-17 14:40 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  There is no other "app store" worth mentioning. You are speaking of "Android Market"
2. Re:*Apple App Store by rickyb · 2010-09-17 14:42 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  Probably has something to do with the fact that it's the only one with "App Store" it its name. Notice that "App Store" is capitalized?
3. Re:*Apple App Store by Anonymous Coward · 2010-09-17 15:37 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Notice that "App Store" is capitalized?
  So is "First", "Google", "Voice", "App", and "Hits".
  This is kind of a nitpicky who-gives-a-crap thing, but I agree. I initially thought they were talking about the Android Market too and was like..uh, yeah, we've had that for like a year an a half...
4. Re:*Apple App Store by Americano · 2010-09-18 02:17 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  What about Cydia?
  Like the man said... "There is no other app store worth mentioning."
Not first by mr100percent · 2010-09-17 15:48 · Score: 2, Interesting

Technically this isn't the first Google Voice app in the app store. There were GV apps years ago, then Apple yanked them in short order. This marks the return of GV apps, not a new arrival of the kind.
Re:hallelujah by Americano · 2010-09-17 16:05 · Score: 2, Informative

Uh... who spent $500 on an iPhone?
On ATT's website, an iPhone 4 cost you $199 for a 16GB version, vs. $199 for a comparable Samsung Android model: Samsung Captivate, 16GB.
On Verizon, a Droid X is $199. HTC Droid Incredible is $199. Samsung Fascinate - $199. Motorola Droid 2 - $199.
Pray tell, where are the iPhones that cost 2.5x as much as these Android phones sold?
Re:A Better Google Story by Americano · 2010-09-17 16:13 · Score: 3, Funny

RT @wmbetts: I'm waiting for /. to crash and a whale to show up.