Apple iPhone Developers in the Hot Seat over Google Voice Rejection to App Store
Apple iPhone developers have recently responded to the U. S. Federal Communications Commission or FCC’s requests for answers to several questions regarding their refusal to allow Google Voice into the Apple App store.
According to the iPhone app programmer and others who were quoted in the MacWorld interview piece, Apple has “not rejected Google Voice application and continues to study it.” The article goes on to suggest that the Apple Company is worried that the Google Voice app would confuse iPhone users because it appears to alter the iPhone’s distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhones core mobile telephone functionality. The fact that “Google Voice bypasses the phone’s own Visual Voicemail and transfers iPhone contacts to Google server presents several new questions and issues” . . . that the company is still considering at this time.
But if you are worried that Google Voice may not find a place in the smart phone business, don’t be because Google Voice will be featured in the new Verizon smart phones called the Android Series set to debut sometime in the fall or early winter of 2009.
The interview in MacWorld also gave some insight into the App Store’s approval process. Apple stated that most rejections are due to bugs found in the applications and approximately 20 percent of apps that are submitted more than one before they are accepted. The company admitted they have received about 200,000 submissions and approximately 8,500 new applications and updates per week. Although Apple has nearly 40 full-time reviewers, they continue to advertise for iPhone developers for hire. Each new app is studied by at least two reviewers before given the okay for the refusal to be placed in the app store.
Additionally, Apple wants to make sure that people know that AT&T had nothing to do with the non-approval of Google Voice. A memo stated that “Apple is acting alone and has not consulted with AT&T on this matter.” This is not to say that AT&T does not have anything to do with other app rejections. Apple’s statement clearly indicates that the company is contractually obligated to ban voice-over-IP phone apps.
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