While the debate over net neutrality continues, David Pogue of the New York Times, a huge Apple fan, is livid over the Google Voice apps rejection, and a good summary of reasons not to use GV appears.
TruVoIPbuzz: 8 Reasons Why You Should Not Use Google Voice as Your Primary Number
Writer, and long-time GrandCentral and Google Voice user, Alok Saboo cites 8 reasons not to use GV as your primary number: Possible SMS receiving problems, difficulties with making calls from your GV number, no in-network free minutes, the possibility of outages, reports of slight delays in voice calls, privacy concerns, lack of SIP support (err, what about Gizmo5?) and lack of support for users.
My take: A very good roundup of the case against using GV as your main number except for a huge omission: doubts about how you can use your GV number overseas. The case as made seems a weak one to me, against the benefits, cost savings and control Google Voice gives you.
New York Times: Is Google Voice a Threat to AT&T?
David Pogue describes the App Store rejection of Google Voice apps, highlighting the two retroactive rejections. “The blogosphere goes nuts”, he puts it. He blames AT&T/Apple and their “Soviet information-control style”, which has made “martyrs” of the apps. He points out that Google is working on improving the Google Voice mobile Web site to offer the same features in a way Apple can’t easily block.
My take: A must-read. Pogue has been a HUGE booster of both the iPhone and Google Voice. (He wrote the book on the iPhone – the very popular iPhone, The Missing Manual.) With Pogue taking Google’s side, Apple is not due to have many friends left in this battle.
PC World: Why We Need Net Neutrality — And Why We Need It Now
A rally ing call for net neutrality by a developer. The article compares the open situation on computer broadband to the much more restricted situation for mobiles.
My take: Worth reading, this will be fought out in Congress with the new bill introduced (see yesterday’s post).
ZDNet Asia: Smartphone battleground: Apple and Google head to China
The #1 cell phone carrier in China, China Mobile, will soon be offering two Android phones. The #2 carrier, China Unicom, will be offering the iPhone a few months later. Apparently the exclusive for iPHone will run three years, giving Google three years to sell China Mobile customers – those who aren’t willing to change carriers to get an iPhone – on Android. Separately, the Financial Times speculates that the reason for Apple’s rejection of Google Voice apps has to do with intense competitiveness over China
My take: The China situation has no direct effect on Google Voice, as it’s not available in China and may not be for a long time to come. But if and when that does happen, Android, which has the best-integrated Google Voice app so far, may have a very strong position in the market. Indirectly, success with Android encourages investment in it and Google Voice, and vice versa. As for China competititiveness affecting the App Store, it’s hard to see it. The FCC’s queries should help get to an answer.
Ethiopian Review: Rejected By Apple, iPhone Developers Go Underground
This in-depth article profiles Cydia, the App Store alternative for jailbroken iPhones. Cydia is now the only place you can get GV Mobile, the leading app that was canned from the App Store by Apple.
The article claims 10 percent of iPhone/iPod Touch users, or 4 million people, have installed Cydia – which looks like a claim that 10 percent of iPhone/iPod Touches are jailbroken. The article describes most jailbreakers as “nerdy rebels” and describes the relative chances for developer success on Cydia versus the App Store, including some sales figures.
My take: If 10 percent have done a jailbreak, that’s amazing. If it’s made faster and easier – and, through Apple and AT&T’s actions, ever more necessary – that number could double or triple, which would be a very big impact on Apple and App Store developers indeed.
Voxilla: Skype Only Winner as Apple Jilts Google
Article points out that Skype is the winner from the App Store hassle over Google Voice apps. Skype is the world’s largest telephone company, by minutes, and Google Voice keeps minutes on AT&T and other traditional mobile carriers, whereas with Skype they’re lost.
My take: Good point, though it ignores AT&T’s potential loss of highly profitable SMS and long-distance revenues to Google Voice, which complicates the picture.
DailyTech: Apple Rejects Dictionary, EBook Apps on Profanity, Piracy Grounds
A dictionary app has been rejected from the App Store for containing curse words, and eBook apps are being rejected en masse because many eBooks have copyright problems or open issues. Separately, Apple senior VP Phil Schiller claims it wasn’t censorship, but a wait for parental controls in new Apple firmward – the first time Apple has said anything publicly about any App Store rejection.
My take: This of course seems a bit rich when most songs on iPhones and iPods are illegal, so by the same logic those devices shouldn’t be sold. However, it may be part of an effort to clean up the App Store, though not communicated or managed at all well by Apple.
Wireless Week: Google Voice Indicative of a Trend
Writer Andrew Berg describes 3jam, a Google Voice competitor. This service does cost money, but it can be “white labeled” by competitors, meaning that a Google Voice-type service could be offered with your cell phone plan. This would lack number portability, though. The article also describes someone having multiple phone numbers for, say, Facebook, another for their soccer team, etc.
My take: Things are about to get strange if we have different phone numbers for different purposes. The situation will only get more confusing before winners emerge, though Google, through Google Voice, looks set to be one of them, or the biggest one. (You might need Google Voice even more to deal effectively with calls coming from new sources.)
Quick Takes:
- myTouch is said to be cheaper than Palm Pre or iPhone, at about $2000 for 2 years of average usage (myTouch) vs. $2400 (Pre) and $2900 (iPhone).
- FierceBroadbandWireless writer Lynnette Luna anticipates quick FCC action potentially leading to mandated wireless openness, outlawed handset exclusivity deals and regulations for app stores, among other changes, and all sooner rather than later.
- Ethiopian Review makes a case against FCC intervention in the App Store, citing overall intense competition in the smartphone market.
- Mashable writer Ben Parr shows momentum growing for Android apps.
August 9, 2009 at 4:40 am |
One can receive calls to your GV number overseas, if you pay for it of course. I bought a SIM card from here …
http://www.telestial.com/view_product.php?PRODUCT_ID=MSIM-PPP2
to put in an unlocked quad band phone. It provided both a US and UK cell number, with not so great rates, but good if someone needed to urgently reach you. I set up the US number in my GV list, and tried to do the same with the UK number when overseas in London recently, but GV didn’t permit it. Nonetheless, the SIM was set-up to forward calls to the US number to the cell phone overseas (for a $0.29/minute surcharge), and people got through to me (not that I lingered in conversation at that rate).
With a non-jailbroken iPod Touch, I could also place calls fine via GV Mobile when in WiFi zone (free to US numbers and nominal charge elsewhere – such as family traveling in E Asia), and if I had Fring or TruPhone apps running, could receive calls to my GV number (GV>Gizmo>TruPhone or GV>IPkall>VoipStunt>Fring). Being able to check voicemail to the GV number via computer or iPod while traveling internationally was hugely convenient.
Pity that some of these apps (e.g. GV Mobile) have been pulled from the iTunes App store, and was looking forward to Google’s own GV app. Perhaps they’ll come back after a negotiated agreement to restrict use when on WiFi networks (obviously the only option for iPod Touch users) … as I doubt the Google’s mobile web page solution (when released) will match what they’ve developed for users of Android phones. Do wonder if Apple was negotiating with future US or international partners (not just AT&T) that were leery of an agreement with the prospect of a GV powered iPhone on their networks. The writing is on the wall though – this sort of movement is inevitable though and air access (whether cellular technology or wifi) is just a commodity to be purchased as needed when in transit.
Keep up the good work on the blog …
August 9, 2009 at 8:43 am |
Hi Vineet,
Thanks a million for the information! That’s great to know.
On receiving phone calls on a US number while overseas, I’ll have to experiment to see if this is working. The thing that worries me is whether it’s meant to work like this and always will – or whether it’s something that might work all or some of the time now, but could be shut down at a later date. Your good experience might be considered by Google to be a bug! Also great to know about the WiFi experience.
Your analysis of the current and future situation for iPhone apps sounds about right to me. For instance, I use the mobile Web page solution for Gmail, but am unhappy with not having notification in it. So that’s now coming out, in an app. I agree we would all, including the principals, benefit hugely from a negotiated solution, but I’d hate to see it restricted to WiFi. (Though that does seem a highly likely outcome.)
As for being able to check voicemail on one’s computer or even iPod while travelling is a huge deal, great to hear it worked as advertised for you. Given all the hassles that can happen with timezones, this is even preferred in many situations. (Get a VM, call back on Skype when convenient…) The one time it would be a hassle is if you’re trying to meet with someone, which often leads to a quick flurry of calls as you both get to the meeting place.
Anyway, thanks very much for new information and for the kind words on the blog! Please keep us updated on other experience of traveling with GV.
Cheers,
Bud