Through the years, Apple has built up a reputation for high-quality, well-designed, and very stylish products. The insanely popular iPhone is no exception. Apple has done a phenomenal job of shrinking down Mac OS X and adapting it for use on a mobile phone. In the process they created a software distribution system known as the App Store. Of course, they never give users the option to get apps elsewhere, but that is how Apple traditionally operates.
Before apps are accepted into the store, they must go through a review process. While designed with the intent of quality control, this system has come under heavy criticism many times. The most recent incident that brought this process into question was Apple’s rejection of the Google Voice app yesterday. Not only was the Google Voice app rejected, but at the same time Apple removed a third-party app (GV Mobile) that had similar functionality. GV Mobile was supposedly removed for duplicating built-in phone features (any app that duplicates Apple functionality is usually removed), but no word has yet surfaced on why Google’s app was rejected.
At this point, it would seem logical that AT&T is behind the decision. Although Google Voice users would still have to pay for the AT&T Phone service, users of this app would be able to easily circumvent AT&T’s texting fees. At the same time, it would seem like there is another reason behind this decision, since numerous texting apps are still in the store that allow people to use some other mechanism to get around AT&T. None of these have been removed from the store to my knowledge. There are also a number of apps available for connecting to VoIP networks. Both of these types of apps could be removed by Apple for duplicating functionality.
Why would these apps be allowed in the store, while Google Voice is rejected? It’s anyone’s guess until more information is released from Apple or AT&T, but it may have to do with the way Google’s services can be used. First, for most of the free texting applications available right now, your text is sent from an e-mail address instead of a phone number. This means that the receiving party must have a phone that is capable of sending and receiving e-mail (most are, but it is not quite as convenient and may incur a charge). Second, most of the VoIP dialers are not nearly as convenient to use as the normal phone functionality because nobody outside the VoIP network can call you unless you purchase a number. Google Voice, on the other hand, gives you a phone number that you can use for all of your calling and texting. The confusion caused by this situation once again highlights the need for Apple to establish a clear, consistent policy for app approvals and rejections.
