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Google Voice Finally Comes to the iPhone as a Web App

by Terrence O'Brien on January 26, 2010 at 02:05 PM

Google Voice Finally Comes to the iPhone as a Web App
Just as it did with Latitude, Google has circumvented Apple's arbitrary and frustratingly restrictive app approval process by releasing Google Voice as a Web app, tailored specifically to mobile devices like the iPhone and WebOS handsets. Everything you'd expect is present: a dial pad, a text message and voicemail inbox, contact search, and even transcripts of your voice messages.

Most importantly, though, when you dial a contact, the phone connects you directly, rather than calling your phone first and then connecting the call, as was the case with the previous mobile version of Google Voice. (Still, this works by dialing strange numbers similar to Google's 406 text-messaging work around.) We can also happily confirm that the receiving phone correctly displays your Google Voice number on caller ID.

It's not as elegant of a solution as a dedicated app would be, but it is (at least on first impressions) impressive for a Web app. But just because we now have a circuitous way to get Google Voice on our iPhones, don't think that we've forgiven, much less forgotten, Apple's reticence. A native app, with offline access to voicemail, contacts and the inbox, is essential if you rely on Google Voice for your daily communications, and we won't be letting Apple off the hook for rejecting it anytime soon.

Check out our hands-on gallery below. [From: Reuters and Engadget]

Google Voice for the iPhone

Tags: apple, google voice, GoogleVoice, iphone, top, web app, WebApp

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