Google Voice for iPhone Released

[irons]

I'm struck that it appears to do very little local caching. In that sense it feels like a highly polished web app, always at the mercy of an available network.

Also, it's iPhone-only. Following the direct download link from an iPod or iPad yields an error. Guess I'm sticking with Boxcar for iPad push notifications.

[nirmal]

Guess I'm sticking with Boxcar for iPad push notifications.

Same here, except using Notifo.

[BlazingFrog]

The inbox is incredibly slow to load up ("refreshing conversations...") compared to the native SMS app or even Whatsapp (iPhone 4, 4.2, 3G 3 bars). And while it loads up, it doesn't seem to be possible to switch from the inbox to the dialer or the "Menu"... It's also crashed twice when opening after receiving a text notification. (disappointed sigh).

[samps]

The "no caching" effect is much less pronounced with fast app switching. Are you on iOS 3.x?

Also, in my experience, there are often weird consistency errors in the App Store when something new is rolling out. (I could only see it on my Mac for a while before it appeared on my phone.) Try again in an hour.

[jdg]

Thanks for staying around. We have some really cool stuff coming up @Boxcar.

[nikster]

Google Voice is kind of the wrong product for the wrong time. It improves voice telephone calls exactly at a time when that's no longer very interesting.

The only semi-interesting thing would be cheap international calls - but I have Skype for this already.

Voice mail, I don't use. If it was improved like with GV - I'd still not use it. SMS, I have plenty of free texts, never exceed my limit - though I wonder how they get away with making them free, given that carriers make lots of money with that.

One number to rule them all - that would be cool - except if it's controlled by one company which will eventually seek to monetize. Those chefs and massage services cost money... I don't, by the way, see how being available on the phone to anyone at any time, no matter what number they call and no matter where I am - as a feature. More like a bug. I am already easily reachable on my phone, via SMS, via emails. I don't need to be any more available.

Anything that I'm missing? Why would I want GV?

[khafra]

For me, Google Voice's features allow me more granular control over my availability, and reduce the total time my telephone takes by letting me skim textual versions of voicemails, direct calls hither and thither, etc.

[dotpavan]

If searching in the appstore, "google voice" didnt bring up anything but "googlevoice" worked

[johns]

It was on the second page of results for me.

[gte910h]

I second searching for "googlevoice"

[waxman]

This long-awaited arrival throws quite the wrench into the Android v. iOS platform wars.

Google was obviously already on the iPhone (with search, its popular native app, gmail, etc.), but Google Voice is clearly different in that in competes with the core functions of the phone.

What do you guys think the impact of this will be? Could Google use this as a Trojan horse to hook people on GV then try to upsell them to an Android device with better GV integration? Or will it not matter?

[irons]

For an upsell to work, you'd first have to believe that people buy iPhones primarily to make phone calls. Then you'd have to believe that these phone-centric individuals are tolerant of the voice latency in GV calls. I don't see it.

[rodh257]

I think its yet another killer Android application that is now available on iPhone. While I can see their logic in this instance I still don't understand why Google insists on porting all of their good Android applications across, removing any competitive advantage they give to Android.

[masklinn]

> What do you guys think the impact of this will be?

Apple does the majority of its sales outside the US. GV does not work outside the US.

[SriniK]

GV sms is free and I use chrome extension quite a bit for sms. Now I would probably cancel my sms plan on iphone.

I think the most important thing is, Google would get contacts this way. I already uploaded my address book removing email ids from the csv file.

[ja27]

Doesn't seem to be available for iPod Touch even though many of the features would work fine on it.

[ceejayoz]

Some of the big ones - like receiving calls - don't.

[motvbi]

It appears number portability and iPod Touch support is not on their priority list. I have no clue why. With those two features, personally, I would be free from cell phone carriers.

[avner]

There are way more iPod touches out there than iPhones. This could have been a great ipod touch app for people who don't want to pay ridiculous amounts for a phone.

[smackfu]

It doesn't install on the iPad either. My guess is that they set it to require "sms" or "telephony" functionality.

http://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/General...

[jkincaid]

Google intends to release a version that will work with the iPad/iPod Touch (no VoIP calls, at least at first, but you'll be able to use texts and access your voicemail).

[davemabe]

This is great - but you still have to be in the app to make a phone call (doesn't integrate with the native iPhone phone app well). Does anyone know if the Android version has tighter integration?

I'd like to not have to remember to launch the app to return a call and use the native SMS app to send from my GV number. Is this possible with the Android version?

[tdfx]

The Android version of Google Voice integrates with the native dialer and SMS apps.

[igravious]

Europe is such a tiny market, why would they even consider trying something like this out here :)

sniff sniff

Do I have to make a sacrifice to some modern deity or something to see this on our side of the pond? Oh pretty please Goog? :)

[mambodog]

I have to wonder if this will ever make it to Australia before we stop using the POTS.

[tdfx]

Overall the polish of the app seems a little lacking but the fact that push notifications are finally available makes it the service itself actually usable on an iPhone. I'm not amazed but certainly a happier person than I was yesterday.

[keltex]

It's ironic that Apple might have changed their app store rules to allow a Google product (GV) into the app store in order to counter another Google product (Android)

[sgk284]

My understanding is that this change in policy was directly in response to pressure from the EU and FTC probes.

[grandalf]

It is ironic but I think there is some truth to it. The gmail client for android is way better than anything available for iPhone, and so ultimately unless Apple is willing to offer apps that are roughly as good, it might as well allow users to use Google's.

I could see someone choosing Android just for the gmail app if email was very important and the other iPhone advantages didn't outweigh it. Mail.app for iPhone reminds me of the bad old days of email.

[slowpoison]

I think the current GV app is really a stripped down version of the one that Google originally planned. Didn't Apple lambast the original GV because it took over the standard phone functions.

[BlazingFrog]

Finally... Sweet GV push notifications... :D

[j_b_f]

There are some rough edges (like the SMS sending screen, yuck) but what I'm impressed by is how performant the app is on my old-ass 3G. It seems to open faster than the SMS or Dialer apps do. Probably 'cause it was developed back when the 3G was cutting-edge!

[AndrewWarner]

GV Mobile+ still has a lot of features that this official google app doesn't match, like the ability to paste phone numbers into the dial pad and ability to rout numbers via Skype.

[chesspro]

GV Mobile+ has a lot of extra features, but I feel like the native Google Voice app is faster and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. There were also always glitches with the GV Mobile+ app I used, e.g. text disappearing or hiding behind a whole line of whitespace.

[billboebel]

Now that they have an official app, maybe they'll iterate fast to catch up to GV Mobile's features.

[p0ppe]

According to John Gruber it still uses your AT&T minutes for domestic calls. That should be a turnoff for most. http://twitter.com/#!/gruber/status/4619690240376832

[kylec]

Google Voice isn't, and has never been, a VoIP service. Phone calls made through the iPhone app or Android app have always used the phone's minutes.

[marknutter]

Considering I have something like ten thousand rollover minutes because of how little I use my phone for voice calls, I can let this one slide.

[rbxbx]

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-voice/id318698524 <-- Direct link, gogogo, before it's gone ;)

[stevenp]

I don't think it's available in a limited quantity. :)

[gustaf]

Is this all native? Parts of it feels like javascript.

[csomar]

How do you feel JavaScript???!