Why did the app get removed??
So we’ve all been pondering this… at least I have, after initially laughing in the face of the Apple guy that called.
Check this out…
A breakout of features GV Mobile offers vs. other apps:
Dialing
• Pros: Can dial people via your GV number with ease (via contacts or keypad)
• Cons: Still uses AT&T minutes unless you tie it together with another app like TruPhone or any other SIP client
• Apps that do this and still on App Store:
o These apps offer FREE calling: Skype, iCall, fring, TruPhone, others
o These apps are virtually identical to what GV Mobile did for Google Voice: RingCentral, maybe others…
SMS
• Pros: Send and receive messages for FREE
• Cons: Have to manually open the app and refresh to see any new SMS messages
• Apps that do this and still on App Store: Skype, TextFree Unlimited/Lite, FreeSMS, Texter, Unlimited SMS, Text-for-Free, …. okay there are probably 50 that do the same thing, these are the more popular ones. Some of these do push notifications – so it’s just like the native iPhone app!!
Voicemail
• Pros: An easy to use interface (thanks Apple!) for visually listening to voicemails – very similar to the native iPhone app
• Cons: Have to manually open the app and refresh to see any new voicemails
• Apps that do this and still on App Store: RingCentral, maybe others…
So now we know there are apps still on the App Store that duplicate existing iPhone features – as GV Mobile does. Why does it look like Apple/AT&T are only targeting Google? Hmm
Probably because they figure Google Voice will have a lot of users and publicity as it becomes generally available to the public, whereas these other apps may not be widely used.
p.s. I just sent you a donation — fight the power, build apps for jailbroken iPhones/Palm Pres instead!
version 1.22 is crashing on the SMS tab. is it just me? btw, i do not have any sms in my inbox
Really sorry about your great app getting yanked. I just bought the one off of iTunes last week, but I sent you a donation anyway to encourage you to keep up the good work. I think the outpouring of support has been awesome. I just re-upped with at&t when 3Gs came out after being out of contract for almost 2 years so I could get the 3G at $99 and now I regret it. Should have held out for the G2.
Sorry your app got yanked from the App Store–especially given Apple’s limp reasons for doing so. I love that you didn’t just give up and ported it to Cydia. I downloaded it onto my unlocked jailbroken t-mobile iPhone and sent you a paypal donation–as the application is just fantastic–plus bonus points for sticking it to apple. I hope your paypal account overflows with donations.
it seems all google voice related app were yanked so it’s not just you but thanks for giving it out!
Do you think you could add address book integration at the minimum (for calling, SMS, and caller ID)? This would greatly simplify using GV Mobile! Also, background fetch would be nice (since push doesn’t work for Cydia apps).
I am upset. As a business man and a student, I believe that Apple has made a big mistake. Apple is guilty by demonstrated conflict of interest with Google; I am surprised. Apple uses BSD which is a “open thinking” community to developed their products and a major contribution to their success via software. First comes Netshare, then this? I am starting to believe that Apple is becoming the machine which I have never thought that they would become; as I thought they were free thinkers. The thought of the matter is, I don’t think that this behavior demonstrated by Apple is the real “free” thinking Apple as I supported by buying their products. I hope that they change as I will not support a company that protrays a fake image of them-self’s.
… Not to mention that Apple still supports the Skype app. The Skype app is the same as for the company name is different.
I think they are going to bring out a GV app with OS 3.1 that is why they pulled it. They saw how much users were using it and because they can they decided that they will own the market for GV apps. Thank you for all your work and you have a great product. I am very happy you ported it to Cydia, Thanks again
You should just hide all the features in a simple game and have the features unlocked by entering a code – which is only given out by you.
What does this mean for those of us that bought the app? I love it and use it every day. Can they pull if from my iphone? Will future GV updates render it useless? No further updates available via the app store? What are the ramifications to us paid owners?
FYI, it’s more than just RingCentral. There’s an AT&T branded version where they sell packages on a per minute basis, called AT&T Virtual Assistant.
Methinks that just might figure into the equation.
@Anonymous
All paid users should just jailbreak their phones, and get it for free from Cydia. Once that’s done, you will continue to get new updates.
Sean is fully behind the app, we just need to support him with donations ok. We’re in this together.
Like I said the war has started, let’s see how it plays out.
Check this out: http://www.bbspot.com/News/2009/07/google-removes-apple.html
I payed for this app and luckily have it saved on my phone. It doesn’t replace SMS for me. It’s simply a great way to access my voicemail and calls.
Does anyone know if this was AT&T or Apple that made the decision?
For “push” notification… could you not hack something into a push IM client to receive notifications — perhaps a dedicated Jabber server? It would also give you a way of charging for it… sell accounts on your Jabber server.
Just a thought.
My Google Voice account was just activated yesterday. I had read a review of your app just recently, and I was going to buy it, and now I find out about THIS!
I’ve already used the Apple iPhone complaint link on your website, and I told them I had not jailbroken my iPhone up until this point, but NOW I have a reason to do so, or switch to a Blackberry/Android phone.
I think you know that your app has a lot of fans, and I hope the donations keep coming in so you don’t kill development of your app.
Maybe if Apple/AT&T keep hearing this often enough, they will retract their stance, and reinstate your app. It is completely unfair to lay all this blame on AT&T, as AT&T sells Blackberry phones as well, but BB has an “app for that.”
Well! I strongly believe that Apple and AT&T pulled this program for the following reason. AT&T now has the A-List which is similar to T-Mobiles Faves. So having a google number registered in your A-List will make calling with GV Mobile free when you specify to display your google Voice ID. Now all your outgoing and incoming calls (when forwarded to your cell with GV ID) are basically within the network and FREE. I am starting to like ATT.