Google - Apple Bickering

So the functionality of the Google Voice app has now taken a back seat to bickering and a game of he-said-she-said.

He (Google) says that their Google Voice app was outright rejected with Phil Schiller, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, personally told Alan Eustace, Google Senior Vice President of Engineering and Research, having a phone conversation to that effect.

She (Apple) says that the Google Voice app has not been rejected and they're still reviewing the matter.

At some point I think Apple will have to let the app, and other similar apps, into the App Store, probably with changes, like removing the dialer functionality. I think Google would be best served to releasing the iPhone-optimized version of the web-based Google Voice application to completely bypass Apple's application approval process.

I somewhat agree with Jeff Bertolucci's article, but the article's argument foundation is weak.

Google Voice is NOT VoIP. Google Voice users do not make calls over a data connection, but rather utilize the existing voice plan of the phone to make calls. This means, that you can't use Google Voice if you have a 3G data card with only a data plan. When dialing another number from Google Voice, the application actually dials the phone initiating the call, and then dials the number being dialed by the user. Google Voice acts as the proxy between the caller and callee. This is all done via the existing voice line, not over a data connection.

The only feature of Google Voice that MAY be VoIP is the ability for Google Voice users to listen to voicemails left on their Google Voice number.

VoIP, by definition, is using a data line to transmit voice signals, thereby bypassing a voice line. Clearly Google Voice in its current incarnation is not VoIP.

Ultimately, Apple holds all the cards and I really don't think the government has a place in determining what apps get in the App Store and which do not, but Apple does have a public image to think about, and picking a fight with Google when its Google Voice app is available on the Android and Blackberry platforms is something that Apple should think about. It's only a matter of time before the app ends up on the Palm Pre.