Apple Lifts 3G VoIP Ban, First VoIP App Hits the App Store
Apple Lifts 3G VoIP Ban, First VoIP App Hits the App Store
Posted 01/28/2010 at 12:20am
| by Pulkit Chandna
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The first part of a typical Apple product launch is out of the way now. During the second leg, skeptics will grudgingly make one final attempt at understanding the device just as fanboys get better at pretending that they know pretty much everything they need to know. Both sides can now also factor in the newfangled prospect of making VoIP calls over the iPad's 3G connection when making their case.
Apple today updated the iPhone developer SDK to accommodate VoIP apps. The move was accompanied by the launch of iCall, the first and only VoIP app for the iPhone and iPod touch. The announcement leaves us with one question, though. Will the iPad support VoIP apps out of the box? There is little reason why it shouldn't.
Apple's ban on VoIP functionality riled many feathers while it lasted. The company's refusal to allow Google Voice to run natively on the iPhone wrecked its relationship with Google, which eventually launched a browser-based HTML 5 app to circumvent the ban. Ironically, VoIP functionality comes to the iPhone barely 24 hours after the launch of the web-based Google Voice app.
It is not clear how this fresh development impacts the hitherto unapproved Google Voice app, which Google claims is not a VoIP app. It uses the carrier's voice network to make phone calls and not the internet connection.
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jasson
November 23, 2010 at 6:02am
I wonder why would Apple want to do that, their customers were the ones to suffer while the ban lasted and i honestly think they have harmed their image a bit by acting this way. Thank god the ban didn't last too much, i guess they have got what they wanted pretty fast, otherwise i can't explain myself the quick attitude shift they had.
vvvvvoip@hotmail.com
March 01, 2010 at 3:52am
For VoIP using you need to download and install software. Voip review. Owing to this program you can phone to fixed number or video call, as you wish. Also, you can send sms through IP-phone. Voip providers. It is convenient and simple to use this program. You can phone and send sms through your country and all over the world.
bad_andy
January 28, 2010 at 3:16pm
Skype and Fring have been available in iTunes with VoIP over WiFi for a while now. In fact the terms of service for the iTunes store have allowed 3G for some time.
UPDATE: I should have said that the change to allow 3G VoIP was *announced* a while back, in early October: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10368955-37.html
While frustrating, Apple's ban on Google Voice had little to do with VoIP as Google Voice isn't a VoIP service like Skype. In fact, you need an actual VoIP service like Skype or Google's recently acquired Gizmo5 in order to avoid having to use Google Voice without also using a cell phone or land line service to recieve the calls you're routing. Google Voice is a routing service for voice and SMS from one number to any number of other phones or VoIP services, not a replacement for them.
@Neufeldt2002 iCall is published through the App Store by iCall, Inc, not Apple.
Neufeldt2002
January 28, 2010 at 9:06am
That seems typical of apple, they stalled putting out google's voice app so they could steal, I mean reverse engineer it and call it "icall". I wouldn't be suprised if that is the only voice app that is allowed.
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