Apple Rejects Official Google Voice App; Is Apple Becoming An Ugly Monopoly?

July 29th, 2009 by Mayank Agarwal

Apple (more info) has rejected another iPhone App from Google. This time the axe has fallen on Google-Voice App because Apple thinks it has “duplicate features that come with the iPhone”. Earlier Apple rejected the ‘Latitude’ iPhone App. A Google spokesperson has told TechCrunch

“We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users — for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers.”

It is difficult to speculate why Apple rejected this – on behest of AT&T (AT&T’s business could be directly affected by Google-Voice) OR was the App not following guidelines (difficult) OR is this just one of the things after Chrome OS? But Apple’s attitude is certainly something to worry about. Google-Voice by all means is a revolutionary idea and denying an app for that can not be justified (yes, even by Apple fan boys). This just reminds me of IBM in early 80’s and how Steve came out with that famous 1984 Super Bowl Ad. Apple now needs similar treatment.

Follow-Up

CrunchGear : What Steve said about the App Store and why we need to suck it up by John Biggs

The Business Insider : Apple Rejects Another Google iPhone App (AAPL, GOOG) by Dan Frommer

GigaOM : The Fact & Fiction of Google Voice’s iPhone Rejection by Om Malik

Los Angeles Times Tech Blog : Apple has hang-ups about Google Voice by Alex Pham

TheAppleBlog : Apple Silences Google Voice On the iPhone by Darrell Etherington

apple, google, google-voice, iphone

12 Responses to “Apple Rejects Official Google Voice App; Is Apple Becoming An Ugly Monopoly?”

Krishna Santani
(Twitter: @ ksantani )

7 months ago

Apple is not playing a fair game… This is not the way to tackle your opponents by ticking off your loyal customers. They can’t run the show like this, they need to pay for it sooner or later.

Robert Vincent

7 months ago

Steve Paul Jobs is a rascal of 1st order. here is the real bio of the so called ICON( found out gizmodo… i mean some guys comment)
http://gizmodo.com/5301470/the-life-of-steve-jobs-+-so-far/gallery/#pager
Steve Jobs…

Is a spaz who drinks ant poison yet insists people are 100% products of their environment

Cheated his best friend out of money

Got pissy when the more talented woz was named Employee #1

Smells bad

Didnt do much for the Apple II besides watching Woz build it

Is priveliged (see next)

Drops out of college, despite not paying for it

Knocks up a girl and then dumps her

Fails at designing the Apple III

Thinks of himself as jesus

Had to be court ordered to pay child support despite being worth 217 million dollars

Intentionally parked in handicap spaces

Said “It’s better to be a pirate than to join the Navy”, yet leads the world on DRM laden sales

Makes himself the star of his own commercials

Decided once that if he couldn’t have his special vegetarian dish, then no one else would be allowed to eat

Named his first (2nd) child after the college he dropped out of

Standing on a pile of Lisa and NeXT computers, Jobs declares that Microsoft makes “3rd rate products”

Steals livers from dying children and makes them watch as he eats them with Favre beans and a nice Chianti

Mayank Agarwal
(Twitter: @ mayank25may )

7 months ago

Well… even i read this a few months bak on gizmodo.! No comments here;)

Telmo Amaro

7 months ago

Apple learned little with time and will eventually lose it all by continuing on its current path.

iPhone is an example of forcing customers to ignore all the competition.

Developers need to use Mac to develop legal software for iPhone… What were they thinking?

Not to mention silly user restrictions. Users don’t like to pay $500 to do just what Apple wants them to do.

The message Apple passes with iPhone is: “Either you are with us or against us!”… With the exception of Apple’s blind fanboys, people will eventually buy what’s best, not something that’s crappy but is branded with a famous company name… iPhone now has some success because it’s new, but unless it provides long-term quality service it’ll eventually die.

Perhaps Apple should open its eye while it has the chance, like Microsoft has been doing by learning from the mistakes it has done with Google.

Mare

7 months ago

Yep.. I wonder when they will forbid Firefox on OS X. Because, you know, OS X already has a browser….

Mike Heath

7 months ago

How is Apple becoming an ugly Monopoly if they don’t have a monopoly in any market?

You have a choice. If you don’t like Apple, spend your money elsewhere.

Mayank Agarwal
(Twitter: @ mayank25may )

7 months ago

@ Mike :
this is naive… iPhone is a monopoly in smart phone market, App store is a monopoly, iPod is a monopoly in mp3 player market.

I love Apple and i admire Steve, but this dosnt blind me and my sense of judgement is still intact inspite of all that love… what is wrong is wrong, what is BS is BS.

5 Trackbacks For This Post

FCC Slams Apple & AT&T, Asks : Why Was Google Voice iPhone App Rejected? | TechDusts Says:
August 2nd, 2009 at 12:57 pm

[...] sent a letter to Apple, AT&T and Google asking all the 3 parties to give reason for the rejection of Google Voice App and removal of related third-party applications. The Dow Jones newswire reports that this is the [...]

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August 4th, 2009 at 10:17 am

[...] no surprise after the way events have been unfolding for the past 1 month – Google Chrome OS then Apple rejecting Google Apps then FCC’s enquiry in to the matter. I am wondering what Steve must have said to Eric, in a [...]

Apple, AT&T And Google Responds To FCC's Questions About Google Voice App Rejection | TechDusts Says:
August 22nd, 2009 at 4:08 pm

[...] All the three parties have responded to FCC’s letter probing into the rejection of Google Voice iPhone App. [...]

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October 7th, 2009 at 1:14 am

[...] of them is obviously Verizon supporting “Carrier killer” Google-Voice. Apple earlier rejected Google-Voice and the rest is well… a long long long long stroy! Today Verizon CEO openly supported [...]

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October 13th, 2009 at 1:46 am

[...] the upcoming Chrome OS, shortly after Schmidt resigned from Apple’s board and then that legendary Google-Voice iPhone App rejection happened (FCC is still investigating over the [...]