Apple denies rejecting Google Voice

The Apple iPhone and Google Voice saga took another twist over the weekend. Apple, Google, and US network provider AT&T have all issued their stance on the takedown that happened last month to the US authorities, and there’s some bold claims in there. Read on to find out what they had to say and what this means for you.

Apple’s app store approval process caused yet more last month when Google revealed its Google Voice app (a powerful service which lets you receive calls from a different number and even send free text messages) had not been approved for release.

The US watchdog the FCC was so outraged by the arbitrary takedown that it launched an investigation, and now the first round of answers from the companies involved is public. Google’s response was largely censored, but Apple has an interesting spin on things:

“Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it.”

Now, call us pedants, but whether Google Voice for iPhone has been rejected or not is a moot point if it’s not been approved yet. You can’t use it. Moreover, Apple stomping out third-party iPhone Google Voice apps it had already approved suggests a new policy at Cupertino – especially when Google Latitude was also crippled in to a web app recently.

AT&T, instrumental in removing 3G acces to the SlingPlayer app for iPhone, claimed to have nothing to do with silencing Google Voice, so where the full blame lies is still unclear.

So where do we go from here? We wouldn’t rule out a quiet U-turn from Apple, with Google Voice slipping silently on to the App Store. If the FCC were to launch a full investigation, it could be dangerous indeed for Apple. Here’s hoping that’s the case, and that the company makes the approval process transparent from now on.

(Via Electricpig)

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