Google Voice - You Can't Stop It Apple

This week Google and Apple let their ever increasing rift become evident when Apple surprisingly denied iPhone users the ability to download Google Voice from the App Store. What is even more surprising is that some people expected Google to take it lying down. But before going too far into that story, it might be best to first go over what Google Voice has to offer.

What is Google Voice? This is the new software system from Google that allows you to have a new permanent number that will be controlled online by logging into to your account similar to gmail. Besides allowing you to place calls for free (something that AT&T can’t be thrilled about), it offers several awesome features that are difficult to figure out with a normal phone. Here are some of my favorites:

Block Calls – Don’t want someone to call you again? Simply add their number through your online login and you are all set.

Call Forwarding - Have a cell, office, and home phone? All of the calls to your Google Voice number can be routed to any phone or multiple phones if you would like.

Free Voicemail – Listen to voicemail online or anywhere else

Share Voicemail – Easily forward or download voicemails

Call Record – Easily record incoming and outgoing calls.

Goog-411 – Free and easy 411 assistance

Conference Calling – Easily sink up 7 different people in one call.

Those are just a few of the exciting advantages that are offered for free from Google Voice. You can bet that several more are on the way.

Now back to original roadblock. Since Apple iPhone users are the perfect market for a new, online technology such as this, Google cannot simply wait for Apple to design their own version. So Google, in their ever clever wisdom, has gone over Apple’s head. Now they are building an iPhone friendly Web page. The web page will offer all the same features that the App would have and it can also be installed on the main screen of the iPhone.

Some people are guessing that AT&T is the real force behind the Google Voice rejection. Google voice offers free text messaging, picture/video sharing, and cheap international calls. This is a project that is at the top of the list for Google and you should expect to see it ready to go in a couple weeks for every web access phone.