FCC investigation be damned, Google has finally managed to bypass the App Store and release
Google Voice to the iPhone (and webOS, too) the same way it
pulled off Latitude, i.e. via a HTML5-based web app. According to Senior Product Manager Vincent Paquet, it should work with any HTML5-compliant device, although the formatting at this point has been tailored to Apple and Palm's platforms. So here's how it works: much like with its mobile Gmail site, the app caches your contacts list in a browser page. All the usual GV functionality is there, writing SMS messages, checking your inbox, and even listening to voicemails (although that latter functionality wasn't working for us yet in our trials). Placing phone calls is an interesting trick: as pictured above, after you choose the recipient, the app prompts you to call one of Google's local numbers via the native dialer -- even for international calls, hence the lower rates by paying through Google. The recipient will see your proper GV digits, and upside with this method is you'll still be able to utilize call waiting and background usage. The catch, of course, is a call history littered with random numbers. It's not a perfect solution by any means -- if anything, take solace in an
assortment of home screen icons for each section of the app -- but it's probably the best we're gonna get for the time being. The page should be up and running later today, so if you're anxious, direct your mobile browser to
voice.google.com and just keep hitting refresh.
posted January 26th 2010 10:04AM
Oh snap!
Cool, but what's the point? If it connects you through a random number each time then it is still using your minutes.
@alblair
That's probably how they're trying to appease carriers, i.e. still keep carriers happy and selling Google powered phones. The world isn't quite small enough yet that calling international numbers is as cheap as free.
@alblair It may use your minutes, but free SMS is still pretty awesome.
@alblair I don't use google voice to save minutes. I use it as an alternate phone number to mask and screen calls on my personal mobile phone. Most people I know use it for this.
@alblair You can make international calls for cheap and call Canada for free.
@alblair
Google voice will save you minutes only if you manage to add that number in you my-faves / A-list / myfamily
Otherwise it does not save any cellular minutes. As others mentioned main advantage is free SMS and cheap international long distance.
@jubjub
"Please note that Google Voice is only available for sign up in the US"
wtf???????
@jubjub I had to use a friends iPhone today, and logged into my google voice account to text someone and saw the new interface.. was like "Heeeey when did they add this?! Cool!"
@alblair Don't know about you, but i have free incoming calls (then again, i rock an HTC Hero, don't need this). So having GV call me and connect me to the number via the web version of GV was perfectly fine back in the days when i used a hacked up iPhone 2G, and it cost me nothing since i usually call in-country long distance.
Wow google is killing the voice competition. I cant wait to get my hands on one of those google android phone. Does GV offers free call to international destination from the mobile? One company called http://callarc.com supposedly offers free calls to international destinations for free.
So glad I have a Droid. GV works so well on the Android platform (wonder why?).
It's nice to see this finally make its way to more devices, though.
FREE SMS ftw!
@theschneidster
seriously
this is one of the coolest features of the NexusOne. I love it.
@theschneidster Just one more reason to go Android.
I
Just tested and it works a charm on an iPhone 3GS. Haven't tried rcv a call yet but outgoing and SMS are working as expected for me.
@RLBurkes There won't be any difference in receiving calls... as the app isn't used to receive them. Its a really nice looking web app. Faster for me than using the GV Mobile app, but I don't understand why they implemented calling like that... The old web app would dial you as does G V Mobile--no need to call a random number yourself.
@akcpe I just tried this. I think I prefer the GV mobile app, but, i'll give it some time before a come to a final conclusion.
And tomorrow during Steve Job's keynote address he will announce Apple is removing html5 compliance from Safari mobile!
@ArhcAngel
LMAO! That would be a true kick in Google's butt....which would ultimately suck.
@Plazmic Flame actually Steve Jobs would have to kick his own ass by taking out the compatibility THEN kick Google's ass, thus bringing iPhone to a new low.. potentially.
google f**ked appstore :P
@ango +1 ^^
@ango
We are in your Safari ####### your Appstore.
- Sent via Nexus One
@ango
Correction: HTML 5 is fü¢king the app store. This is too good.
@NaJaKwa
" HTML 5 store" ---> ALL you needed for free !
@ango
by complying with Apple's App Store guidelines? Oohh snap, way to show them!
Pfft.
Still lame, just like Latitude web app. These things need to be real apps, running in the background and all.
@Saad
Well at least on the Palm Pre it can be...sort of.
@Saad Google wanted to do this.
@Saad if you dont like it complain to apple or ditch your iphone to prove to them that you not going to take this shit anymore.
Since the web app runs in Safari, isn't it in fact running in the background?
cool. I've been using gdial pro on my pre for a while now, but i'm anxious to see googles own approach...
@mhunterjr ok nevermind i'm disappointed. What good is a web app. I don't understand what google won't release a native app for the Palm Pre, especially when there are 3rd party apps that are profiting from their API's. What good is a google voice account without away to receive decent notifications.
Set up Growl to do the notifications, it works flawlessly with the iPhone app Prowl.
Dunno if the Pre has a Growl client though.
@y3kbug thanx for the suggestion, but it really wouldn't help much. Using the web app, i'll already get text messages that notify me of google voicemails and SMSs, which on the Pre are already unobtrusive. and on top of that, there are 3rd party apps on the Pre that push notifications from google. I just want something from google cuz i'd assume that they would offer better products than any 3rd party...
Anyone have a link for the webOS work around?
@BeingBoston or you can get a native webOS client by downloading gDial Pro for free on the app catalog.
Happy with my N900 integration, thank you very much :)
ok, someone link me to more information on HTML5 and how to code in it as well as which browsers support it. k, thx. way to "in your face", google!
@dudeguylikesandroid
http://lmgtfy.com/
your welcome.
@ArhcAngel
You linked it wrong, and a more helpful response would have been. "why don't you check out the specification on the w3c site? http://www.w3.org/TR/html5/"
Suck that Apple! And just before your big day. Aaaahhhhh
Surprisingly, this doesn't work in the Android browser (2.0.1 on Droid). I still get the crappy old mobile site.
The Android GV app could use some updates, it's pretty clunky right now, and uglier than this web app.
I'm glad they fixed this. The old web UI was terrible on the iphone.
Rut roh. Stevie ain't gonna be pleased.
To me this still just as bad as not having it. It's not as good as a real app.No push notifications, doesn't run as smooth, interface isn't that great. GV Mobile is much nicer to use then this.
Huh? The Google Voice apps didn't have push notifications either.
I use the new version that was just released in Cydia like a week ago, and that version doesn't have push either.
Where are you getting this info from?
You may want to reread what I said. I never said GV Mobile has push. I said the interface is nicer then this web app. And being a web app it won't have push.
@y3kbug
he's talking about the Android version...on Android, there's a global notification system which includes Gvoice updates for calls, voicemail, etc. I've maxed out my jailbreaking will and know-how on my iPhone, and if Apple doesn't release a smarter OS (instead of a prettier OS) for the iPhone tomorrow, I'm ditching my 3rd iPhone for my 1st N1.
=|
@theNEOone No no, I am talking about an iPhone. I just never said that GV Mobile has push, I just was saying that this new app from Google won't have push because it's web based. And I don;t think web based apps like this need Apple's approval, it's just using a browser and anyone can do that.