It’s pretty simple: Apple’s iPhone OS is basically the only major smartphone operating system without an official or unofficial Google Voice client. We used to have GV Mobile and VoiceCentral, but as we all know, those were abruptly removed from the App Store and even Google’s official client was turned away. Well, at least Apple didn’t Amazon your iPhone and take away the Google Voice applications you already bought/downloaded, right? They might as well have as GV Mobile was rendered useless after a Google Voice-side update, and with no way of updating existing user’s applications, anyone who had been a GV Mobile user up until that point in time was out of luck.

GV Mobile is now available for jailbroken iPhone devices for free, but there’s something better coming up… GV Mobile 2.0. We’re really excited to tell you about it, too. It has been polished and refined — it had an injection of features — and we love using it, even in its non-final and beta form. For starters, dialed calls connect almost instantly, your iPhone contacts and favorites are accessible right within the app, there’s voicemail transcription viewing, and even multiple Google Voice account support. Advanced features like call forwarding phones, do not disturb settings as well automatic syncing, and even Growl support are on the to-do list, but for now, we’re just happy to have GV Mobile back on our non-jailbroken iPhone. Hopefully Apple reverses course and lets this version through their pearly gates when it is finished, though we wouldn’t bet the farm on it. Couple application shots after the break!

Super shout out to Sean Kovacs for hooking us up!

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the FCC has begun investigating Apple’s rejection of Google’s official Google Voice application and the subsequent removal of similar third-party apps from the App Store. You know the story by now — Google submitted the app, it was rejected, third-party GV apps were then pulled, everyone was pissed, somehow heat was deflected on AT&T, AT&T called BS and so on. Well apparently the FCC has decided to step in. The WSJ reports that letters were sent from the FCC to Apple, AT&T and Google seeking information on the matter. Specifically, “the FCC asked why Apple rejected the Google Voice application for the iPhone and removed related applications from its App Store. The letter also seeks information on how AT&T, the exclusive U.S. iPhone carrier, was consulted in the decision, if at all.” The Journal claims to have obtained the letter that was sent to Apple, which you’ll find in its entirety after the jump. We truly hope that — if nothing else — the FCC manages to take Apple down a peg where its ridiculous app approval process is concerned. For the sake of developers’ sanity, if nothing else. Our favorite part of the letter:

What are the standards for considering and approving iPhone applications? What is the approval process for such applications (timing, reasons for rejection, appeal process, etc.)? What is the percentage of applications that are rejected? What are the major reasons for rejecting an application?

Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t love to see Apple’s responses to those questions? Priceless.

Read

Ohhhh, Apple. In this latest chapter of the schizophrenic soap opera that is Apple’s relationship with iPhone developers, Apple has rejected Google’s Google Voice application. Here’s why, according to a Google spokesperson:

We work hard to bring Google applications to a number of mobile platforms, including the iPhone. Apple did not approve the Google Voice application we submitted six weeks ago to the Apple App Store. We will continue to work to bring our services to iPhone users — for example, by taking advantage of advances in mobile browsers.

Long story short, Google will be forced to whip up some bootleg web app as it did with Latitude because Apple is, at times, ridiculous when it comes to App Store policies. But the story doesn’t end there. Apparently Google’s rejection prompted Apple to sift through the Store and remove third party Google Voice apps with little or no warning. The reasoning? They duplicate features already found on the iPhone such as the dialer and SMS. Apparently these apps didn’t duplicate the aforementioned features when they were first approved months ago… But they do now.

That makes perfect sense of course, and maintains the same position Apple has taken with the approval process from the start. It’s not like Apple would approve 300 browser apps that duplicate the features of Safari… Or approve a bunch of calculators that duplicate the features of the Calculator app… Or approve a thousand weather apps that duplicate the features of Apple’s Weather app… Or approve a bazillion to-do list apps that duplicate the features of Notes… And so on.

In the end, what we really want to know is this: since Apple is pulling GV Mobile, VoiceCentral and the like from the App Store — thus ceasing development and blocking support (why would a dev support an app he/she can no longer make money on?) — will Apple be refunding the purchase price of these apps to customers at its own expense? Yeah we doubt it, too. If you’ve purchased a Google Voice app and would like to request a refund at Apple’s expense however, we most definitely urge you to do so. Just don’t hold your breath for a response.

Bottom line… Jailbreak.

UPDATE: A few people have hit us to let us know that GV Mobile is now available in the Cydia Store. We imagine others will follow suit soon enough — so once again, jailbreak.