Since the iPhone was released a few years back, it seems that every new phone coming out was trying to become the next “iPhone Killer.” Never in a million years did Apple ever think that the iPhone Killer was, well Apple themselves.
Once I heard earlier this year about Google Voice, I knew it was going to become a hot commodity. Not only has it been a widely popular and sought after beta release, but it’s pointed the largest flaws with the iPhone application market. As many already know, Apple blocked the Google Voice application from being used on the iPhone. Not only did this cause a controversy among iPhone users and Google Voice fans, but the FCC about the rejection terms behind market.
I do agree that Google Voice can present a huge problem with the cell phone markets, and could threaten the business market entirely. Why? Well because you can use Google Voice and spend 0 minutes of your account plan. But realistically, it’s all about who can meet the consumers needs better? Currently we’re in a not so great economic period, and if a company comes along and gives away something so useful and at such a low cost (FREE!!!), then why shouldn’t people use it, and why should a company block it?
In all honesty, it’s not about the iPhone at all. In fact, Apple doesn’t have anything to do with the cell phone market. That’s AT&T’s problem. So why are they blocking it? Well if you ask them, it’s functionality of the application, and not the purpose of it at all. After reading their responses to the FCC, you can obviously tell their reaching for the heavens here. They claim the application replaces the functions of the iPhone, but it doesn’t do that at all. It uses an entirely separate feature for doing this and does not disable, replace, or interfere with any of the iPhone’s features.
Which all of this goes back to my main point, iPhone could be killing themselves this time. So much controversy and media has ben centered around this, it’s hard to miss the Apples main problem is their limitation of a limitless market. Their own marketing strategy, “there’s an app for that…” is no longer true. Google Voice” Yeah, no app for that, but please subscribe to our overpriced mobile plan until we up the price when our next version comes out. I live and die by my Blackberry, and will never use a phone that determines my carrier for me. Business doesn’t work that way, and neither will I.
