The outcry over the Google Voice ban on the App Store is still going strong, with hundreds of news stories, developer posts, and complaints putting the story in and out of Twitter’s top trends for nearly three days running. Much of the blame has been directed at AT&T, over beliefs that the carrier forced Apple’s hand in its decision to ban the applications. Now it looks like AT&T believes it’s been wrongly accused, and it’s beginning to take a stand for itself.
Last time we reached out to AT&T to comment on the story, the company gave TechCrunch writer MG Siegler a very blunt and brief statement:
“Nope – Apple is the one who can talk about their App Store.”
But today, the company has begun sending out more detailed messages to some of the frustrated customers who have been voicing their complaints. The message below was written by Glenn Lurie, AT&T’s President of Emerging Devices and Resale.
Your letter concerning Apple’s decision on the Google Voice iPhone app was forwarded to me since I work closely with Apple.
While we’re very proud to offer the iPhone 3GS along with the thousands of apps available through the App Store, AT&T does not manage the App Store – and we are not involved in the approval process for apps in the App Store. I recommend in this particular case that you express your concerns to Apple.
I’m glad you’re enjoying your iPhone and hope that you continue to be an AT&T customer. We appreciate and value your business.
Sincerely,
Glenn Lurie
AT&T’s stance is no longer that it can’t talk about the App Store — it’s that it doesn’t manage the App Store, and that any concerns about this case should be directed at Apple. Of course, the note leaves plenty of wiggle room for AT&T. The company may not be necessarily “managing” the approval process, but it could easily be the whispering in the ears of the people who do. And to say that AT&T isn’t involved at all seems highly unlikely as well — why would Apple cripple apps like Sling were it not over bandwidth concerns voiced by AT&T? Still, there must be some reason why AT&T is beginning to change its tune. AT&T would be foolish to paint a bulls-eye on Apple as it tries to extend its incredibly valuable exclusive iPhone contract, but it’s doing what it can to deflect a few of the blows coming from its frustrated customers.
We followed up on the letter above by getting in touch with AT&T, at which point an AT&T spokesman said that the company stood by what Lurie had written and that we should contact Apple for any further information. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling refused to comment on the matter. Our brief conversation, which consisted largely of “we haven’t made any comment on that” responses, included this gem:
JK: Are you planning to comment?
SD: We haven’t made any comment on that.
So where does the blame truly lie? It’s unlikely we’ll ever get a straight answer. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has cited a reliable source in saying that it was “AT&T that objected to Google Voice apps for the iPhone. It’s that simple.” And I myself suspect that the blame lies largely with AT&T. But others, like Om Malik, believe that Apple should be bearing the brunt of the blame.
But in the end, users don’t really care who is to blame, provided the issue gets resolved quickly. If that doesn’t happen, developers will continue to lose faith in the App Store’s walled garden approach. Apple will lose its glossy luster, and some will seek lusher platforms where they’re sure they can actually release the applications they’ve spent months building. The iPhone may be dominating this space now, but we’re really only about two years into this new era of smart phones — it’s a bit early for Apple to be embittering developers with such regularity.
Thanks to Jason Walke for the tip.
You know “GV Mobile” aka Google Voice just popped up in Cydia [app store for jailbroken phones]. I just took a look and sure enough, its there.
http://www.appl..._rejection.html
There was a link in the article to another article in Wired about EFF’s efforts to legalize jailbreaking.
Notable quote: Apple said “this would be desirable to drug dealers.”
http://www.wire...9/07/jailbreak/
Whoa.
#techcrunch50 baby!
Sorry, but I still don’t buy the “AT&T made them do it” excuse. The article asks why Apple would cripple apps like Sling… Hmm, it’s not like there’s a conflict of interest there or anything. Apple could easily allow the apps on the iPod Touch if it was some kind of a network issue. As it stands, they seem more than happy to stay silent and allow the blame to land elsewhere.
It has to be from pressure from AT&T people. Apple would loose NOTHING by having a Google Voice app on there phone, it would just be one more reason to buy an iPhone instead of having to go with an Android phone for your GV fix.
i never blamed a&t
only an apple fanboy who cant believe their eyes would blame at&t
this is just techcrunchs daily “omg all iphone users hate AT&T!!” or “at&t sucks!” article with no factual evidence, just completely fabricated illusions
Except that, to a person, we all DO.
“You can’t handle the trueth!”
I blame both.
I don’t even live in the US.
me too. at&fail anf apple (can’t believe how much they keep disappointing me) can live happily ever after. well atleast it’s not verizon. but still. END exclusivity.
http://www.appl..._rejection.html
Dear TC,
Due to this complete debacle, can we simply begin each article with “Apple/AT&T Sucks: [insert headline here]“? Thanks.
“And to say that AT&T isn’t involved at all seems highly unlikely as well — why would Apple cripple apps like Sling were it not over bandwidth concerns voiced by AT&T?”
wow you apple fanboys never stop. did at&t also tell them to stop the baby shaker app? or how about the other unjustified app removals?
take a hint: apple removes anything they want and feels threatens the iphone’s features. at&t is one of the best phone companies, and anyone who thinks they have any influence whatsoever on any app is a fucking retard
Let’s calm down now. Listen to a little Jason Mraz or Cyndi Lauper.
you happen to be wrong, but keep the comments coming. you’re so close to something. i’m not sure what, but you’re close. i can feel it.
hey moron.
Really, so has AT&T made any move to block or stop the installation of the BlackBerry Google Voice app? There are far more BlackBerry users than iPhone users, so one would assume that if AT&T were really that worried about Google Voice, their efforts would focus on the BlackBerry first.
Has there been any evidence of AT&T objecting to users installing GV on their BlackBerry thus far? If not, I would say it is pretty safe to assume that it is Apple who has a problem with the app, not AT&T.
How would ATT stop the installation of anything on Blackberry? Please explain the technology that exists to do so.
All BlackBerry apps have to be signed by RIM if they in any way access the hardware (like say the phone dialer). If, as is contended in this article, AT&T somehow forced Apple to pull the iPhone Google Voice App, then there is no reason they could not have used the same irresistible force of compunction to get RIM to refuse the BackBerry Google Voice app, at least for the models on AT&T’s network. It wouldn’t be any different than how some carriers allow BlackBerry tethering, and others don’t, or how RIM blocks GPS chipset access on a carrier by carrier basis, to help the carriers sell TeleNav. For that matter, for those using AT&T’s BIS service, they could just block the app to keep it from running, even if you could install it, meaning only those on a corporate BES could use the app, and even then, only if their BES administrator allowed it. If anything, RIM has shown themselves to be far more compliant with carrier demands than Apple.
Given that AT&T has many different smartphones on their network, it seems to me to be a stretch to assume they are lying when they deny being involved with Apple’s decision, when there is no evidence of them trying to stop Google Voice on any other platform.
Ding, ding, ding! It’s time for the Apple cult to come around and realize that they are as sleazy as any other company around. OMG, Apple is soooo cooool, they would never block an app unless some other evil corporation had something to do with it. I bet Microsoft told Google to call the FCC.
ATT doesn’t block Blacberry’s GV app because the BB app uses ATT minutes. Simple.
The iPhone app was not intended to use them.
man, you’re just the biggest douchebag, aren’t you?
Fan boy, with an apple for a brain.
who said anything about at&t ? the only problem people are having is their services
So we won’t blame them for G Voice but we can blame them for everything else. I stopped getting phone calls at home about a week ago and messages as well. Its pretty awesome to have an iphone that leaves out the phone part thanks to at&t
They knew you needed to unplug and take a break. Now follow the white rabbit.
Isn’t that too obvious? Apple of course manages the App Store. If someone has to explain themselves here it’s Apple. Even if ATT asked them to, Apple should have confirmed / rejected these stories.
Their silence proves their guilt
could this actually mean that apple plans to release a competing service? huh?
Easy to check if it is really AT&T, then Google Voice should still be available from markets outside the US.
If it is not, then it means it is Apple.
Good idea, but the Google Voice service is still US-only.
but they do say they plan to expand it to other countries
By then, the hoopla over the GV App being pulled will be over, and Google would have moved on to something else.
no worries they’re arrogant now, like MS was with windows.. just wait a year or two when you have all those android devices flooding the market…
But by then it will be too late… ATT sucks period, they are lying bastards.. they have history of that just look at their marketing campaigns.. full with BS and lies.. most reliable (thats verizon), largest (thats verizon too), best customer satisfaction (my ass that’s Tmobile/Verizon), just look it up in consumerreports…
Same with the promis of network upgrades they’ve told that story for the past half decade.. and yes they do upgrades but their network has sucked continuously for 5 years…
I simply switched to Tmobile and couldnt be happier.. oh and its a third cheaper too…
TMobile/Versizon nut-sucker. AT&T works great in my area.
Another crappy post about the same story… How about another one tomorrow?
Ask AT&T again.. Ask Apple again.. Get no answers and then write a post about it and insinuate whatever you want.
lame…
I agree, this article has no meat.
And Apple and AT&T are both to blame. Simple as that.
if i might interject, this story is of interest to people building or planning to build apps for the iphone. it’s not fun to lose a month of your life building an app only to to have it rejected by apple. so it’s good to know just how far Apple can go bullshitting people. i’d like to know how the story ends
JK: Are you planning to comment?
SD: We haven’t made any comment on that.
Omg, what fucktards. They are either really stupid or they just dont give a crap about what TechCrunch thinks/writes.
I’m voting the latter. Remember who we’re talking about here: AT&T and Apple.
AT&T is to blame
First of all, kudos to the designer of the AT&T logo!! Love it. Second of all #DieAT&T. I hope their stock begins to take a hit. They care zero for the customer base and chalk it up to regular old churn.
don’t worry, if they fall, the Government will bail them out. Or give them BILLIONS to “make infrastructure stuff for the better of the USofA and all its people!”
Let’s just apportion equal blame to both partners and move on. Apple can hardly be blameless in this entire debacle, and as is earlier pointed out, even if A&T demanded it, the decision was ultimately Apple’s to make.
it is not the blame what is important here, it is about people (developers and users) voice/complaints being heard or not…
Google Voice apps work just fine on my T-Mobile G1.
Would work fine for me to – but I’m in AUS and Google Voice isn’t launched here yet.
Apple developers need to look at porting their applications to the Android Market. No restrictions or walled approach on that.
Hurry up Google AU – bring us voice already! (Well at least we’ve got SOMETHING going for us here – Google Wave).
Throw some shrimp on the barby, pop open a Fosters, and catch a Googly Wave dude!
I think the thing that everyone is missing here is that GVoice takes away control of the one app that the carriers always thought they’d have… dial tone. Their last bastion to not be a dumb pipe has always been dial tone. If they lose that, they’re done. Dialtone is their last value prop that keeps them connected to end users.
I would be more concerned about carriers turning away android to protect dialtone than having the app in the Apple app store.
yep, let’s see what happens with all those Android devices coming out…they will surely be GV enabled…what will Verizon do?
Hopefully the same thing being done here, or charge…
By all means, let’s cling to the old way of doing things.
Good point about Android.
Quit whinning. If you don’t like to develop apps for iPhone, move on, many other developers will continue to develop for iPhone. Apple can reject anythig they don’t like. You know what, most iPhone users are happy and they don’t give a sh*t about GV app. You don’t have a constitutional right for GV app. Get over it and be thankful that you have the privillqge of using an iPhone. If you are Not happy, go get a one of other sh** phones like Pre or blackberry.
HAHAHA, “privillqge[sic] of using an iPhone” – Apple is not doing ME any favors for giving me a phone I PAID for. If anything I did them a favor for choosing them over their competition (of which there’s plenty). Sure, I like my iPhone, but I also hate their AppStore and all the crap they let through (how many farts, moron etc etc apps do we REALLY need) and how many good applications get rejected without any type of an explanation. If you don’t want to explain to all customers at least let the developers know why the app got rejected. After all, they spent their time and money working on applications without which the iPhone would be a pretty crappy phone compared to the competition that’s out there.
Spoken like a true cult brand loyalist. Having an iPhone is not a right, but a PRIVILEGE!
Whether Apple or AT&T is to blame is irrelevant. It takes 2 to tango. Both parties are in this to make money, regardless of how many unhappy pretentious tech bloggers they leave in the process.
If you’re disgusted with their policies/tactics, it’s simple: Don’t buy an iPhone. Don’t sign a contract with AT&T. Refuse to use their products and services.
As a developer, I absolutely disagree with their ridiculous approval process. Apple isn’t exactly my favorite company, but their app store is lightyears ahead of their competition, which makes it, shitty approval policies and all, the best choice to put your app out there.
Hopefully the competition will step up their game and deliver comparable efforts. It’s getting kind of boring with just one big dog eating the mobile application bone.
Yeah man, but it’s Apple! They are so cool, they have Justin Long in their commercials! How could they do something this evil?
I posted at&t’s denial on my blog earlier today after they responded to a comment I left on their Facebook page. They said:
“Justin, We’re really not trying to dodge this, but you will have to talk to Apple regarding its App Store. AT&T is not involved in the approval process, so we cannot speak to this issue.”
Isn’t it possible that Apple is building that huge server farm in North Carolina to offer something like Google Voice? Even if that’s true competition/choice should still be welcome. Apple can compete with Google…except they most likely will charge for the same service. And they can if the service is worth the money. I would pay for it. For now I am taking a good look at the Android phones.
AT&T says it doesn’t manage the application store — obviously they don’t.
What the out cry is all about is whether Apple is (a) contractually required to block specific application types or (b) whether AT&T has input or a hotline to the people at Apple who manage the application store.
AT&T restricts tethering & MMS with in their markets. What pull do they have, if any, with the application store?
Don’t put up with this crap from AT&T limiting competition.
Let’s not forget that the iPhone also is not allowed to stream video yet other smartphones are permitted to do so.
Write your congress person and express your outrage.
http://www.house.gov/
Not that I have a lot of reason to trust AT&T, but all you have to do is look at iTunes to realize what horrors can happen to consumers when platforms are closed systems.
I think I’ve read a thousand articles by TC that just solidifies my decision of not switching to AT&T and not getting the Iphone…
I’ve been wanting an iphone but glad I am waiting to see what happens.
Joe, you are such an Apple fanboy”. Get over it and be thankful that you have the privillqge of using an iPhone.” Apple should be thankful that we are buying iPhone. Not the other way around.
This sense of entitlement on this forum is amazing. Apple is not obligated to give you everything you want and you are not entitled to have GV app on your iPhone. Full disclosure, I am not a fanboy, rather I’m a share holder of Apple. Google needs some push back and I’m glad Apple is doing this. If goog really wanted to help iPhone users, goog should work out a revenue sharing deal with AT&T or/Apple. Apple and AT&T have a duty to protect the interest of their share holders.
How about the sense of “we pay good money for an iPhone and AT&T service and should be able to actually USE them as we see fit(within reason of course)”? Who actaully owns this phone after it’s bought and paid for? Sometimes I feel like I paid all that money for a rental!
NO OTHER phone has blocked services this much, NO OTHER PHONE. It isn’t just the Google Voice app, but neutered Slingbox, neutured Skype, etc., etc. etc.
I have other phones that freely allow those and more services that Apple & AT&T block, and I also didn’t have to wait for MMS on them!
I’m tired of Apple and AT&T telling me what to do with my own &%$# phone!
who’s stopping you from getting a different phone with another carrier? The fact you are still using an iphone means the iphone offers best overall experience than other phones. Apple controls these things to give all of its customers an optimized user experience. If that offends you, i’m sorry, but 25 million of other customers’ experience must have higher priority than your yours alone.
There should be a new template for all posts here:
“blah blah blah blah blah Iphone. blah blah blah Iphone software. blah blah blah AT&T SUCKS OMFG BITCH MOAN WHINE”.
AT&T is almost no different to other companies. If your not used to the Techniques of the mobile phone industry, then grow up.
Why do you want Google voice anyway? They will just scrape even more of your data? Don’t you want any of your privacy left?
Couldn’t you go on Skype?
WiMAX.
We should all send letters to law makers DEMANDING to put a stop to this cancer-causing cell tower system with the zero transparency subscription plans.
This system must die.
We should be using our phones using WiMAX, paying 1 fixed sum per month for unlimited Voice, Data (which is the same if we all use VOIP) and Location services. Like Cable – and if someone wants an app – well that’s like pay-per-view, you just gonna need to pay for it.
Aside from the very strong lobby these companies have, there is no reason not to switch to a healthier, cheaper, faster system that can cope with new technologies.
Down with overpriced Telecom service.
nice info
I’ve been wanting an iphone will see what happens.
If you drill down, I am leaning towards beliving that AT&T may not have reason. Consider the following:
AT&T still gets 50% of SMS revenue since GV delivers SMS to cell phones over AT&T (or the recipient’s carrier). since GV does not provide the network service.
And for voice calls from GV users, AT&T accrues for pay minutes even for mobile to mobile calls. So in the big picture, I’d expect the revenue impact to be a wash. I don’t see enough reason for AT&T to pressure Apple to kill GV Apps from iPhone App store.
Apple on the other hand shouldn’t care, therefore, I bet, there’s more to it…
What? Do you think Apple is going to deliver an integrated GV solution in an upcoming update?
“AT&T does not manage the App Store – and we are not involved in the approval process for apps in the App Store. ” – AT&T
“It’s unlikely we’ll ever get a straight answer.” – TechCrunch
So, you mean that it is unlikely you will ever get a straight answer you LIKE. I mean “Nope – Apple is the one who can talk about their App Store,” seems like a pretty straight answer to me. Oh wait, you mean that it isn’t a “straight answer” unless it somehow exonerates Apple of any culpability to what happens in their own app store. Because as any Machead will tell you, what makes Apple great is their obsessive attention to detail, and the limitless amount of control they exert to craft exactly the user experience they want in all aspects of their business, unless of course it gets bad PR, at which point they are helpless children who have no control at all over their own products or business.
LOL
Let the drub roll!!!!
“Walled Garden” = “Prison”.
Apple sells their devices to people but they think they still own them. I think this is why they don’t have user replaceable batteries. They want to make sure that their stuff goes back to their stores periodically so they can check up on it.
get real, what other phone you bought two years ago still allows you to get free software upgrade, ie, 1.0 to 3.0? You bought an iphone without the GV app on it ( and many other new apps), you own what you got at the time of transaction, any new features and apps are at the discretion of Apple and AT&T.
when was the last time you need to change a phone battery?
seriously Joe? So Apple is the only company that releases software upgrades? And here I thought that Blackberries, Windows CE-based phones, even the PRE that you hate so much (yes, I know it hasn’t been out for 2 years yet) all have pretty regular software upgrades. Silly me, must be just an Apple thing.
As for your battery comment – if you’re a heavy phone user (be it games, business, videos whatever your little heart desires) and you don’t want to change your phone every 2 years then changing a battery IS a fairly cheap option to get a little more out of the phone. Obviously that’s any other phone with the exception of the iPhone.
on the battery comments, i for one have never changed a cell phone battery. I see nothing wrong with a fixed battery in exchange for a more elegant/ smaller form factor. Making an elegant device requires a lot of compromises. I and many users don’t care about battery replacement and are happy to have a beautiful phone. You obviously disagree and prefer otherwise, it’s a compromise Apple made and if you can’t live with it, dont’ buy an iphone. The market will decide if Apple made the right decision.
Thankfully for Apple they make a decent enough product for most people and then there are little fanboys like yourself will elevate to the highest ranks of awesomeness (even if the product at hand could use some changing around)
Seriously Joe? Blackberry, Windows CE they don’t come with upgrades? I guess I learn something new on TC every day! “You own what you got at the time of transaction, any new features and apps are at the discretion of Apple and AT&T” – in this world of never ending smartphones this is no longer the case. It’s like saying that if you buy this laptop you can’t use anything that hasn’t been preinstalled at a time of purchase. While the smartphones have a long way to go, they are no longer just phones and people don’t expect to buy just a phone. If Apple didn’t create the AppStore and allow for other people to improve on Apple’s own product we would hear very little about the iPhone by now (because let’s be honest, the first iPhone, without apps, while cool was pretty limited in its functionality)
You can install anything you want, just don’t expect Apple to support it or be offered in the apps store.
why don”t you go use your Pre or blackberry since they are so much better? Free country and free market, if you hate Apple/Iphone so much, and more people agree with you, eventually, the market will prove you right and I will lose money as a share holder. Since you are still using an Iphone, I bet you still think it offers best overall experience.
“don’t buy an iPhone” is getting to be a very old and quite frankly a lame argument. Just because I own the phone and like it doesn’t mean I have to blindly accept everything Apple tells me to. I can have my opinion about what will make the product better (and many of my opinions are shared by many other people out there). So yes, I will continue to enjoy my iPhone but at the same time I’ll continue to bitch about shit I don’t like. Apple doesn’t have some kind of a monopoly on knowing “the best user experience”.
also, I’m not free to install anything I like – jailbreaking is not technically legal and as much as I could use some of the “other” apps out there, I have no interest in doing that. If I could get apps legally without the AppStore involvement I’d be more than happy to do that
changing the product to satisfy your poor taste and particular needs at the expense of other users? I’m glad Apple is in total control and you are not!
you’re such an idiot
Jason is just upset that ATT seems to not like TechCrunch
——
JK: Are you planning to comment?
SD: We haven’t made any comment on that.
——
It’s OK Jason, let it go, let it go. We are not a golden token so not everybody will like us
Ok, people… the iphone (ala : Apple) will not be exclusive to AT&T forever. Meaning that other carriers will be able to have an app store where GV will also not be available. UNLESS!!!! Once the iphone hits other carriers it suddenly becomes a product that Apple is happy with. What if that mystery date for the iphone exclusiveness is closing in faster than we are realizing? Of course AT&T isn’t going to say “hold on, you can get an iphone with another carrier soon”, but they would gladly pass blame to Apple (especially if Apple is refusing to extend their contract with AT&T). Before jumping to conclusions, let’s do some digging and lets try to get an actual answer from Apple as to why they have decided to go this route and if AT&T did or did not have any thing to do with the decision.
Apple sucks. There is nothing “hip” about a greedy purveyor of lock-in ware.
But they have Justin Long in their commercials….JUSTIN LONG!
It was obvious to whoever who was was not high on the Apple-Koolaid that AT&T had nothing to do with it. Just face it Apple is evil, it’s is worse than MS and I can’t even imagine what would be the case if Apple had MS’s power.
I could be wrong but I think Apple killed GV app so that people cannot start using their iPod-Touch as phone (via wi-fi) and get rid of iPhone altogether.
I used to like TC but these one-sided stories are in no way journalism, not that TC ever said they were journalists. TC is the TWZ of technology.
i want news/rumors based on facts/contacts, not f-king opinions from fanboys.
It’s both AT&T AND APPLE!
Listen, when Steve announced the App Store he said that certain apps would not be allowed (bandwidth hogs, etc). He was likely quoting the agreements that Apple made with AT&T to create an app store and put apps on iPhone’s on AT&T’s network. I’m sure during the days before the App Store AT&T brought concerns to Apple about allowing certain apps, and in negotiating, Apple likely agreed they would police it by following, in part, guidelines offered up by AT&T.
It stands to reason that AT&T came up with a list of concerns that Apple would have agreed, up front, to limit and control. So while AT&T may not be actively involved in app approvals, they may likely reference original agreements between the two companies as a reminder to Apple on what should be permitted.
So, IMO, it’s both. Apple is not the saint that everyone believes they are and AT&T is the devil on Apple’s shoulder.
They do it because they can. Apple could force you to pay them a monthly fee to use the iPhone, and MG would gladly do it and find a way to blame AT&T. Not saying AT&T is good at all, but good lord take off the fanboy glasses.
People just need someone they can blame for whatever they want but is not given! Simple thing: customers always have choices, if you don’t want it given that you know they are not gonna provide you what you want, then just don’t buy it! When you read the contract, if you don’t like it, just don’t sign it! Simple things… but people just try to play dumb “nah, nah, it’s not right they do this, it’s wrong they do that”. My God, it’s like if a company invents something cool, but selling it at a very high price, people who wanna use it will say “this is not right, nobody will buy, but I want it, dump the price!”… I just feel you guys are just being selfish.