Info Laptop

First it was just apps that gave users access to Google Voice features, but now it seems as though even an official app from Google, who have traditionally been very close with Apple, will not (for now) see the light of day. GV Mobile and Voice Central, two apps that allowed Google Voice users to access the service on their iPhone have been pulled from the App Store for duplicating functionality, and an official Google Voice app won’t see release at all for the same reason.

According to a Google spokesperson speaking to TechCrunch, Apple received the app submission from the internet search giant six weeks ago, and “did not approve the Google Voice application.” Apple has bandied about the feature duplication defense before, when they rejected Podcaster prior to releasing their own integrated podcast direct search and download section to the iPhone’s iTunes store.

Unless Apple somehow plans to introduce their own built-in Google Voice support in the near future, a scenario which I find highly unlikely, then this particular use of the feature duplication line is completely ridiculous. Google Voice isn’t actually duplicating anything, it’s only reducing AT&T’s ability to make money, which suggests that the wireless provider has much more control over Apple and their approval process than I previously suspected.

Through Google Voice, people can have one number for all of their phones, free long distance calling, and free text messaging. Two of these would obviously cut into AT&T’s bottom line, since users would no longer have to pay AT&T’s exorbitant service charges for messaging and cellular long distance. In fact, Google Voice customers could probably pare down to a bare minimum data plan and still retain all the functionality of their iPhone.

What makes Apple look particularly bad in this instance is that both BlackBerry and Android already have Google Voice apps available in their own app marketplaces, which, if Voice continues to grow, and expands beyond the U.S., could begin to have a serious effect on which device consumers invest in.

GV Mobile apparently received Phil Schiller’s personal seal of approval, so you know someone else is pulling the strings at Apple HQ to get these apps pulled. My question is, what threat does AT&T have that could force Apple to comply? An end to AT&T exclusivity would seem only to harm the company, not benefit it. There’s something to be said for not making your friends angry, sure, but there’s also no way you should let your friends direct internal policy. Maybe Apple should become an MVNO?

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It must be nice to be Verizon right now. Free from the intense scrutiny AT&T receives by having the hottest and “smartest” smartphone, it can appear to rise above it all. It can have TV ads to claim the best network on the planet, and it’s done. It can have legions of people claiming they’d drop AT&T in a heartbeat, or snap up an iPhone tomorrow, if only it could be on its network.

Even setting aside that the iPhone on Verizon would not likely be the iPhone we recognize, this is ridiculous.

Before we get into it, let me first say that if you live where there’s little or no AT&T coverage, then obviously Verizon or another carrier is what you need. But every carrier has holes in its coverage. Every. One. This article isn’t about that.

No, what this article is about are those places (and there are many) where either carrier is an option. In this case, there are general perceptions where Verizon seems to either have people fooled, or it’s no different than AT&T but it isn’t noticed.

• It must be nice to sell phones with less usability than the iPhone, so your customers don’t hammer your network, and then sit back and let people assume you could handle the load under which AT&T is straining.
• It must be nice to utilize the same pricing and subsidy strategies as AT&T, but get to remain above the fray while AT&T takes the heat for what the whole industry is doing.
• It must be nice to charge for carrier cash cows like SMS and tethering, but have everybody only complain about AT&T doing it.
• It must be nice to brag about having visual voice mail on some phones, while quietly hiding that it’s an extra $3 a month.
• It must be nice to not allow convenient syncing of data, media, bookmarks, etc, via the excellent iTunes environment, instead using clumsier tools if anything is allowed at all, and have your customers just take it in stride.
• It must be nice to disable hardware features on many phones, such as Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi, with little complaint from the masses.
• It must be nice to avoid GSM, still using CDMA-based technology that the rest of the world (and AT&T) has abandoned. Their roll-out to a 4G network could come with headaches as a result.
• It must be nice to brag about 3G speeds, and have no one point out that their CDMA 3G technology (EV-DO) can handle voice or data, but not both simultaneously. Browsing the web when a call comes in? You can have the call or the web, not both. Oops.

If Verizon received even half the scrutiny AT&T does, it’d be buried with criticism. If AT&T is getting a lot of bad press, Verizon would be ripped to shreds. But since it doesn’t offer a phone particularly compelling, one that taxes their network, one that people actually want to use, few have bothered to look beyond the geek with the glasses it puts on TV. It must be nice.

Finally, this in not intended as a defense of AT&T, and in no way excuses it from legitimate complaints. I’ve certainly grown tired of all their talk, but no action. However, the idea that Verizon would somehow be free from all these complaints — even assuming it allowed the iPhone as is — is not supported by its own actions. As a U.S. carrier it has far more in common with AT&T than people seem to realize.

I was a Verizon customer for years prior to switching for an iPhone over two years ago. The “Verizon envy” many AT&T customers possess is akin to the grass always being greener on the other side. Problem is, most of you would find out it’s crabgrass.

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So you’ve got a brand new iPhone 3G S and you want to know if you can use the AT&T tethering workaround everyone’s been talking about? Yes, yes you can. It’s all remarkably easy. It’s almost like Apple wants us to use this workaround, at least that’s the story I’m telling myself.

The good folks over at 9to5 Mac have the step by step guide, but essentially all you need to do is run a quick terminal command to turn on the preference in iTunes, download an iPhone carrier update file, restore the iPhone, and as Steve would say, “Boom.” You’re all set to start tethering, just navigate over to Settings ? General ? Network ? Internet Tethering on your iPhone and throw the switch to the “On” position. If your Bluetooth isn’t running at the time, it will generously offer to switch that on for you. At that point, just connect your phone to your laptop through Bluetooth (if you haven’t connected before you will have to pair them) and you’ll be sharing some 3G goodness.

All told, it took about 5 minutes to get it working. I did a quick test checking e-mail, browsing around, etc. and the speed over 3G was pretty good. Right after the connection was established, I did happen to get a nice little welcome SMS from AT&T, but I don’t know if that was coincidence or by design. I’m assuming the message was just the normal welcome everyone gets with a newly activated phone, and that it just happened to be remarkable timing.

It’s unclear what implications the use of tethering in this manner will have for your monthly bill from AT&T, so please use at your own caution. It’s at least nice to know though that I can use it in a pinch if I need to. Hopefully AT&T will soon catch up with the rest of the iPhone providers and establish an officially supported way to take advantage of this functionality.

Something worth noting here is that some users have experienced trouble with their visual voicemail following this procedure. If you do have trouble accessing that feature, simply navigate to Settings ? General ? Network ? Cellular Data Network and within the Visual Voicemail section add “acds.voicemail” into the APN field. Once that is done, you will be able to once again use your visual voicemail.

I’m already on record saying that I think AT&T’s upgrade pricing for iPhone 3G owners is not only comparable to the industry, but maybe even a little better.

Despite what could already be considered reasonable terms, AT&T has responded to the complaints by shortening the contract duration for 3G owners to be eligible for the full subsidy:

We’re now pleased to offer our iPhone 3G customers who are upgrade eligible in July, August or September 2009 our best upgrade pricing, beginning Thursday, June 18.

This means you can get a full subsidy having used the iPhone 3G for as little as nine months out of a 24-month contract. There’s a FAQ about the changes, and also a video. Nicely done, AT&T.