Is This Why Google Voice Can’t Make It On The iPhone?

Posted by | 12/02/2009 | 7 Comments

38bfc_GoogleVoicePreview1.jpg (JPEG Image, 500x360 pixels)I may be completely off base here, and if I am, I’m sure I’ll be corrected. That said, this post on jkOnTheRun rang some bells for me this morning. I didn’t realize that AT&T offered a voice mail transcription service for its customers. That feature of Google Voice is one of the selling points (even though the transcription sometimes fails in entertaining fashion.) Of course AT&T offers the feature for a non-inconsequential $9.99 a month fee.

Again, maybe I’ve missed this before, but in all the back and forth about Google Voice on the iPhone, including FCC involvement, this certainly strikes me as a possible reason that Google Voice is still verboten on the iPhone. Why give it away for free when you can score a sawbuck a month?

Tags: , ,

Category: Mobile

About the Author (Author Profile)

Warner Crocker is a professional theatre director, producer and playwright and also a Tablet PC enthusiast. He is also a Microsoft MVP for Tablet PCs. Send email to Warner.
  • http://www.zoeinc.com Rob

    that can’t be it, Warner. You can get the Google Voice app on Blackberry’s, which are also on the AT&T network.

    • http://www.gottabemobile.com Warner Crocker

      Like I said, I may be wrong. But it sure sounds suspicious given that you can also do other things on the AT&T network on other platforms that you can’t do on the iPhone.

  • GeoffreyM

    I have to wonder how many people are paying for it and whether the quality is any better than the Google Voice transcription. I continue to receive them from Voice, just for the entertainment value, and in the hope that a few words will give me enough of a gist of the message. Otherwise, I find it pretty bad.

  • http://sumocat.blogspot.com Sumocat

    The thing to remember when comparing iPhone services to BlackBerry services on AT&T is the exclusivity deal. For the iPhone, AT&T has exclusive rights to offer services, including voice mail. They don’t have such a deal for BlackBerry. Thus, they can block competing services on the iPhone but not BlackBerry. Also, Apple has to be mindful of such considerations, even if AT&T has not specified a service be blocked, or else risk a contract violation, especially since GV keeps adding features. Great potential for a large mess.

  • Stuart

    I heard that AT&T service actually has real people in India transcribing some messages so it is not 100% software.

  • Danny

    Apple is, at least in large part, behind the google voice rejection. That was made clear to all but the mindless fanbois months ago.

  • Clayton

    “even though the transcription sometimes fails in entertaining fashion.”

    Sometimes? Try 100% of the time, hehe. I get messages about steak hoagies climbing stairs when my grandmother just wants to know how I’m doing.

«
»