Google Voice: Not For iPhones

Topic: Apple

Posted on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:20:00 CDT | by Robert Evans

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Bad news, iPhone owners. Google Voice may not be coming to you after all. AppleInsider's just reported that Google is currently working with Apple to try and get a Google Voice app working for the iPhone. Unfortunately, AT&T could stop that from ever becoming a reality.

Among other things, Google Voice allows users to send text messages for free using their Google number. That's an amazing deal for Voice users, but it cuts a huge swath of profit out of AT&T's business model. Text messages are the bread and butter of mobile carriers, they involve virtually no expense and bring in big, greasy bundles of money.

Google Voice is currently only available through invite. If you have an iPhone, you can still access some features of Voice through the Safari browser on your mobile. Unfortunately, only Android and BlackBerry users with the app can take advantage of all of Voice's other features.

AT&T cannot be happy with Google right now. Voice is going to be huge, and there's no way AT&T can deal with it without losing a substantial amount of money. Either they allow it on their carrier, features intact, and lose a bundle of money on text messaging plans, or they cripple the service and alienate customers.