Where's My Voice?

Image by Sweet One via Flickr

On Friday I wrote that Apple had requested Google release Latitude as a web application in order to avoid confusion with Maps on the iPhone. Today it was reported that Apple were removing GV Mobile from the App Store due to it duplicating features that the iPhone comes with (Dialer, SMS, etc). Apple followed that by then removing VoiceCentral from the App Store and now they have blocked Google’s official Google Voice application itself from the App Store.

According to a Google spokesperson:

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.

Across the blogosphere is was suggested that AT&T were responsible and this was later confirmed by John Gruber. He was informed that it was indeed AT&T that objected to Google Voice apps for the iPhone. Maybe Google Voice does interfere with the business models of both Apple and AT&T but what about international carriers? As an O2 customer does it mean that because it was rejected in the US that it won't be released here in the UK?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Is Google Voice A Threat To Skype? (lockergnome.com)
• Join me in Boycotting the Apple iTunes Store (lockergnome.com)
• GV Mobile and Voice Central pulled from App Store (tuaw.com)