A lot of news this week about the overall battle that Google is fighting Apple and AT&T in, including global implications involving Australia and China. Also, though, some thoughtful insights into the importance of Google Voice for users.
With the three companies’ answers to the FCC’s questions due this Friday, it may be a good time to draw a line under the broader coverage, to use a British expression. Google Voice is both symbol of, and a key player in, a battle over tens and hundreds of billions of wireless data revenues, a market that will probably be worth a trillion dollars in not too many years. As the focus of the FCC’s actions, it will be in the news for a long time to come.
In the long run, Apple will probably have given the FCC the wedge it needed to drive net neutrality for mobile broadband just as we currently (just about) have for fixed broadband. This will lead to a world in which people buy phones and get service separately, slowing sales of higher-end smartphones as they’ll no longer be subsidized. They’ll have to earn their way into consumers’ lives like PCs and other standalone purchases, which will in the long run lead to better value for users.
As for the direct impact of Google Voice, it’s looking more and more like it will be Google’s second major market winner, after the Search/AdWords combo. This is an amazing accomplishment for a company that has put its fingers into a lot of pies trying to pull out another plum like its success in leading in, then monetizing, search.
And what does this mean to users? Google will continue to improve and extend Google Voice and gradually put all its muscle behind deepening its penetration in the US and extending its availability worldwide. We’ll see gradual but steady progress. Google Voice, like Google Search, will gradually change the world.
- Bud Smith
Dallas Morning News: Google Voice streamlines your phones and provides functions all services should offer
Jim Rossman of the Dallas Morning News offers a detailed review of Google Voice, but doesn’t lose sight of the big picture. All he wants is to be able to port his home phone number to Google Voice – then cancel his home phone service! He says: “In the future, all phones should have this power.”
My take: Best summary yet of the impact Google Voice should have.
LA Times: “The deal maker could be its integration with Google Voice”
The LA Times has a sensible-sounding review of the MyTouch 3G that points out three things I’ve long believed: That the MyTouch lost its main selling point against the iPhone by ditching the keyboard found in the G1; that the change leaves it vulnerable to a point-by-point comparison with the iPhone, which it loses (screen size, apps base, ease of use…); and that the only remaining selling point for it, thanks to Apple, is its excellent Google Voice integration.
My (further) take: Google is lucky in its enemies at the moment; Apple has placed itself on the wrong side of what will probably be a losing battle with the FTC, but may maintain its position for just long enough to make Google Voice a key market entry driver for Android vs. the iPhone. So Google gets differentiation for Android in the short term and all-platform support for Google Voice in the long term.
USA Today: Fight to keep Google Voice app off iPhone catches FCC’s eye
USA Today has a long, thorough and expert analysis of the battle over Google Voice on the iPhone. Lesley Cauley covers all angles, expertly catching the AT&T lies cited in this blog and other currents and sub-currents.
My take: Rallying public opinion is crucial in these battles. With friends like AT&T, nicely balancing incompetence in operations with mendacity, Apple hardly needs enemies.
Tech Universe: Apple is on FCC’s Radar with Google Voice Ban
A short article. Key quote: “While Google Voice might have been the trigger, the FCC‘s mission is actually much loftier: making sure the mobile Web is an open, consumer-friendly environment like the Internet. What regulators don’t want is for the mobile Web to follow in the footsteps of cable TV or traditional (voice) wireless, where operators tightly control the consumer experience.”
My take: Best summary yet of the true goals of “the case”! (See Telstra Quick Take below.) At least, I hope so.
Quick Take (Google Voice-specific):
- LifeHacker has great tips for getting Google Voice notifications on your Mac – then pushing them out to your iPhone.
Quick Takes (Apple not feeling the love):
- eWeek has a tongue-in-cheek list of 10 Ways Apple Can Fix the Google Voice Public Relations Blunder. Any list that starts with having Steve Jobs take anger management classes can’t be all serious…
- MacWorld sees an end to the techno-elite’s revolt against the iPhone, quoting liberally from a David Coursey rant against Apple, without quite pointing out that they certainly have a horse in the race…
- iPhoneBlog reports on a class action lawsuit against Apple and AT&T for advertising MMS on the iPhone when it was not, in fact, available. In fact, it still isn’t, though it has been promised for late summer. The FCC’s investigation of Apple could result in similar consumer lawsuits as well as official FCC action; the responses to the FCC’s letters of inquiry will be fertile pickings for legal freelancers.
- Geek.com points out that iPhone developers really have little choice except to play the App Store game Apple’s way, if they want to participate in a hot market that gets plentoy of attention – and generated an estimated $150M in sales last year. (That’s with more than 1B downloads and more than 50,000 apps – 16 cents per download and $3,000 per app). FierceMobileContent adds that only a few apps actually get used regularly. Many are called (to users’ iPhones) but few are chosen (to actually be used).
- PC World reports that iPhone 3GS users are astoundingly satisfied with it, at 99%. The “very satisfied” number is amazing 82%. Chief dislikes: AT&T at 55% (Sprint is hated more) and battery life at 41%. (Which is sort of a compliment too – people just want to use it more.) These numbers are effective response to all kinds of criticisms and even enforcement actions; if customers are being hurt by some of Apple’s actions, they sure aren’t showing it.
- MobilitySite links to a video showing an iPhone being shot with a 9mm handgun, then incinerated…
Quick Takes (battle for the billions):
- The admission by Australian mobile leader Telstra of anti-competitive practices, now being followed by a “net neutral“ country-wide mobile broadband solution, is seen as a bad omen for Apple in its brewing battle with the FCC.
- iStockAnalyst has an entertaining description of the upcoming battle between Google+China Mobile and Apple+China Telecom to capture “chuppies”, the top 10% of the market, who can afford smartphones and associated service packages in China. This group is largely English-speaking. Early advantage is Google’s, as the bigger carrier chose it and Android over Apple, and will be launching its Android-powered OPhone(!) ahead of the iPhone. No GV in China yet, but perhaps it will be an early target.
- Wireless data revenues are expected to grow by more than 25% next year, says iSuppli, while revenues to all wireless operators are expected to remain roughly flat at $866B(!). eWeek points out that the wireless data revenues are already 10% of all wireless operator revenue. This is the money AT&T, Apple and Google are fighting over, as pointed out by cellular-news.
- Major US carriers are rejecting nearly $5B in stimulus funds to extend broadband access, possibly due to net neutrality rules in the program. So no effective stimulus, for broadband access nor for the broader economy…
- MobilitySite links to a video showing an iPhone being shot with a 9mm handgun, then incinerated…
