Apple, Please Ignore Me
Oh, you already are. So last week I got an email from Apple. This was a unexpected email – not the ones that say “We would still like to hear how we’re doing!” As if they really want me to fill out another survey. This one had some verbage that made me do a double take before swiping to delete. It had something like “status” or “update” in the subject…I got excited for a bit. I opened it and indeed it said the state of my application has changed. Unfortunely, it was the dreaded “…review process will require additional time.” So like I always do, I replied with something like “Can I please get some specific details…yada yada yada.” To my surprise, Michele Owens from Apple responded a day later – actually 17.5 hours later. Her email simply stated, “Thank you for contacting the iPhone Developer Program. Unfortunately, without the application name and ID, we will be unable to provide assistance at this time.” Ah! After looking back, I thought my reply included the previous email which stated all that. Oops, that’s totally my bad Apple. In 38 short minutes later, I said in my smart ass way, “Glad my $99 is going to great research tools” and also provided the app name and App ID. Oddly enough, 9 days later and no response. Hmm. Since last July when my app was pulled and the fall-out there after, I’ve never ever received a response from Apple that wasn’t automated. I’ve sent countless emails to the App Review team and others at Apple over the past 8 months and I’ve never heard back from them – at all. Surely I have my differences with Apple and have said things they might not like, but to be blatantly ignored by the company I pay to provide services and support is beyond amazing. I think a response is warranted.
Sorry to hear that Sean.
Please try Andoid. It should be better than Apple.
If you paid for your developer’s “membership” with a credit card, try disputing it with the card company. You haven’t received the services that you’ve paid for. You should get your money back.
I think you should send your emails from them to reporters who cover this non-sense. Try sniffing out the guys who are already writing on the sex apps now in Apple’s sights. Outrageous.
Is this regarding GV Mobile? If so, aren’t Google Voice app submissions expected to be rejected or delayed anyway?
How about answering some questions on your site. Like when are we going to see some new info about what you are working on? The google voice website is already now far superior, what are you doing to improve your own product?
wow! just wow!
I believe Apple is the only one asking developers to pay to write apps for them.
This type of thing really make me hate what apple is turning into. I will be switching to Android or whoever looks best in a year when my contract is up. It’s hard to be an apple fanboy when they keep spitting in your face.
Apple is the new Microsoft, actually it’s been like that for a while.
Adam, I like the way you think. I am contemplating the same thing: Android.
That’s the reason I suggested to Sean to look into an Android version of his software.
That way he will be able to capture an even bigger audience (clients).
@Adam
Spitting in your face? They are taking a dump in your food. I refuse to pay to have the honor of making Apple money and that’s that. I guess that means only jailbreak apps for me.
@Anonymous Not sure what makes
their site more superior…lol
@Adam
Android will follow the same fate of Win Mobile….it will fail.
There are way to many handsets with different button configs and different screen resolutions. This makes it hard to develop apps. Also, who likes buying a handset and then have another come out on its heels. it leaves the customer disappointed. Apple comes out with 1 model per year. This reduces confusion and it a better investment.
There is no sync app for your music, movies, photos, etc. Google has a terrible support system which was made evident when the N1 launched. Goggle has purchased many great companies over the years like YouTube & Picasa but cannot make them into a sync to any of there handsets.
All of this leads to massive customer confusion and failure.
That said, if their business model would mature for mass consumption, they would have a chance of success.
Your thoughts?
I hope Sean thinks about my suggestion regarding developing a similar app for the Android world. It would just make more business sense.
@Anonymous
I wouldn’t say the Google Voice website it far superior. It’s just that … a website. No access to local contacts, headset speaker, no offline dialing, slow due to ATT&T crappy 3G. I do like how they do the dialing though. That one part is superior.
Looks like Apple just approved Toktumi for the app store which is exactly what Google Voice does … just not free. So, I see no reason why they won’t eventually let Google Voice in.
Have you tried calling them? Wait times have always been nonexistent when I’ve called. It’s always a very pleasant British lady or gent. They can’t completely ignore you when you call. Give it a try.
Developers from what I have dont make any money with Android.
Android still hasn’t caught up to the first gen iPhone. After this June it will be further behind.
Android has wayyyyy to mau different versions of the OS running on wayyyy to many handsets.
HTC build crap. Moto has no design taste. Android will fail.
@Mike Smith While I hate to agree on something Apple doing right, I must stay their closed platform way of doing things is bringing it much success. I think with all those phones Android has, and all the phones WinMo has, it’s diluting the market and not one handset can stand out and become the God phone. Google tried to push Nexus and had little success because HTC has a similar but better version coming out right after. That’s problem number one. The other is, I agree that with the multiple configurations each other phone has, it becomes increasing difficult to program for such. I think this [lack of this] attributes to the amount of developers and therefore amount of apps on the App Store. It’s so easy, a caveman can do it. Developers don’t have to worry about varying resolutions, buttons, etc…just imagine how difficult it is to think of a UI/UX for a phone that may or may not have hard buttons. Sure it could be done, but who the hell wants to worry about that, especially when the App Store has greater market share. What I like to see be done is something that I think Microsoft is going to do – not produce one phone, but set forth a standard in which the phone must meet (i.e set number of buttons, etc). This will make developing for their product much more appealing.
Can you get your 99 bucks back?
Interesting tidbit from Acrobits.. the makers of SIP softphone for iPhone. From their Facebook feed:
“Acrobits Softphone We regret to inform our users that GoogleVoice support is no longer available and Acrobits Softphone has been temporarily removed from the App Store. Our most recent update to Acrobits Softphone, which included support for GoogleVoice, has been initially approved, but later removed from the App Store. It seems that Apple might have made an error in the approval. We will update you here when we have more information.”
Apparently, a mere mention of Google Voice in their software got them kicked off App Store. They remove all mentions of GV, and now they are back in Apple Store. Apple is evil..
@Davin
Actually I perfer GV Mobile’s method of dialing since I’m in Canada using the Offical webapp version does not work for me ( it tries to dial a long distance nubmer in the US)
With GV Mobile, I can just select which phone to forward to and from there it works…
It’s been almost 30 days since this post and almost 60 days since Google released their web application.
Are you still supporting this application or should I look elsewhere? There is so much I like about your program, but there are also a lot of frustrations;
Likes:
- it’s a true application and not a web app
- it links back to my contact list on my iphone
- it plays the voicemail through the earpiece instead of the speaker
- badges
Dislikes:
- Voicemail sometimes stops halfway through, or switches from speaker to earpiece
- it still uses the dial back method of calling instead of the new way Google uses
- Badges don’t push automatically
- can be slow to load
- deleting voicemail/sms doesn’t work properly and it takes 2 times to delete them by using the app.
Curious minds want to know if you are still working on this project. I could care less about your fight with Apple. You’re on Cydia now and have a stream of income from this project (hopefully). Please continue to support those of use who have purchased it.
Of course man. I’m one man with a real job, so updates don’t come quick. Some of those issues I haven’t heard of..send me an email so we can work on them.
Small request, Sean, could you make the SMS tab landscape enabled? I hate typing in landscape and then have to go to portrait to view my SMS, and then back to landscape when replying to someone else. Its just annoying, and would look better in landscape.
Thanks!
@Dache
It’s could not care less. Not, could care less.
Is anyone else having a problem getting gv mobile to connect to google voice while on the ATT network? It seems the only way I can connect is when I’m on my wireless. Im running version 2.0.2-1. The error message I get is “An error occured while trying to establish a connection with Google Voice.”
Any thoughts? Can anyone help or maybe have any suggestions?
Having the same problem, keeps saying” An error occurred while trying to establish a connection with Google voice”, can’t check sms, history or voicemail. It just keeps giving me that error message. And fix’s please. Has been doing this for a while now. I had to use the Voice Central interface just for back up and it sucks, its way too slow and doesn’t refresh. HELP!!!!!!!
I emailed Sean K. and he quickly responded saying that he is in the process of fixing this… Hopefully its nothing to major and we will have a fix soon.
Kudos to Sean for the quick response…. Keep up the great work…
@Chuck @Mike: I thought I was the only one I uninstalled, Installed, Re-Installed, I was sure it was my phone having one of its ‘moments’ I ready to do a restore :[]
I was ready*
@Angel A. I hear ya brotha… I went through all those steps and even googled to see if there was anything out there… I emailed Sean and he responded quickly… So not its just a matter of time….
@Mike: It’s just really ‘suspicious’ all of a sudden We Can’t Refresh GVm+ on the AT&T Network… I’m starting to think that AT&T and/or Apple intentionally blocked some GVm+ functionality… Apple and AT&T are taking this Google ‘Feud’ a bit too far and its going to hurt the consumers/customers.
@Angel according to Sean the problem was, because ATT’s crappy network the application keeps timing out in 10 seconds so Sean said that he bumped the time out to 120. He submitted it to Cydia and said that it should hopefully be in sometime day…. Cross your fingers….
@Mike: Mine Just Started Working Out of Nowhere without an App Update so I’m just confused… Hopefully it doesn’t happen again. -_______________-
@Angel… I know its strange… It almost seems like AT&T was doing work or something
@Chris
Let me see… Sean relentlessly bad mouths and complains, and arguably violates his NDA. He encourages his customers to jail break and violate the SLA if they want his app and a handful of his customers are total idiots that Apple would be better off without. Other than that, I am sure he is right at the top of the list of getting an app approved.
On the $99 I would love to see you program something without the $99 developer tools you have used. The whining about the $99 is classic dumb ass Sean Kovacs.
@Anonymous How am I violating the NDA? lol The $99 isn’t for the tools…
Probably a “no”, but guessing nothing new from Apple? Not really feeling comfortable purchasing through Cydia… Course not too thrilled giving apple a cut either for that matter… Also have a couple friends that like the app (me demoing @ work) but they refuse to jailbreak.
Any news on whether you’ll be bringing GV Mobile back to the iPhone now that VoIP services are allowed!?
Also, just wondering about the status of GV mobile on iphone via App store. I really miss GV mobile:(