I wish I had people to call…

you forgot to mention CUSTOMER SERVICE… Tmobile has the best customer service of any company… compare that with AT&T where even their salesmen tell you that customerservice sucks.. has sucked for years…

another small but important thing i love about the G2/myTouch – security. It’s so annoying to type in 4 digits on the iPhone, but I hate leaving my phone wide open. The pattern thing on the Android is so easy. Yes, there’s the grease smudge issue, but it’s worth it. http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/10/12/androids-login-is-cool-but-is-it-secure/

omg!

How corny can b?! I quit, i love , i hate..Seriusly, stop being so sensitive/insecure get a life.

this stuff is my life.

…and by the way, if I want to go back to the iPhone, I can. I can just get a new account and point the google voice number to it. Which I may do once other carriers offer it, or AT&T gets much, much better.

meanwhile, I can’t wait to try Google Voice with the Palm Pre. Waiting on the Google Voice app.

I’m not surprised that t-mobile shines in the US, they do a pretty good job here too in the UK compared to other carriers.

Good for you but what’s the downside for T-Mobile? Do they have to subsidize some equipment so you can make calls with your Vonage number?

I have made Fire!!!!

no…Google Voice controls my phone number, and it automatically rings my vonage home number and my TMobile phone whenever a call comes in (this is a setting, and can be changed based on who’s calling or what time/day it is). If TMobile starts to suck, I just switch phones/carriers on a short term contract.

Businesses should absolutely start giving value to their customers otherwise they will go bust before they even know it in this internet era. You no longer can get away with it.

it does sort of feel that way. I have mobile phone freedom and choice now. totally coolness.

You forgot to mention you get free unlimited SMS messages with Google Voice with full notifications. Savings of $20 per month.

The obvious down side that everyone will be quick to point out over the course of the next 700 comments is that the Andriod doesn’t have as many apps as the iphone. I wonder if this is truly an issue, or perhaps this is a case where quantity doesn’t necessarily mean quality.

I had been pondering downgrading my treo 650 unlimited calls & texting sprint line @ $130 and using google voice on my blackberry curve via tmobile (my faves with the GV number added as a fave). Hmm when one calls from the app does it take up minutes or is that an IP call? This post opens up all sorts of possibilities and congrats for making the move!!

I’m using Google Voice on a Windows Mobile device. I plan to get an Android phone soon. What I do is ask people to send a single SMS to my Google Voice number. I receive it from a 406 (Montana) area code number assigned to that contact (for me only). So then I can dial that 406 number directly (from my phone only, or is it any of my Google Voice phones?) and the contact receives the call with my Google Voice number in caller ID. There are some glitches, like I think if someone is already on your contact list, it doesn’t generate a 406 number. But it works nicely for people I call overseas! I just dial their 406 number and it dials the overseas number for that 406 number. I guess it could be handy if you want to make outgoing calls from your land-line or Vonage phone.

Anyway I plan on getting an Android phone and tossing everything else. Even if I only used one phone and one carrier, the international calling service provided by Google Voice makes it worth it.

one other thing i’d really like on android is an official yammer app. https://www.yammer.com/about/applications

yammer is one of our main productivity tools in the office, having an official app for it is important.

Slow news…. Year?

I can’t wait for this. When I joined Adobe I wanted the same phone number so I put my number in their system. I’m hoping that when Google voice opens up the number portability stuff I’ll be able to get it back.

Anyone know how much of a pain it’s going to be to port numbers from a corporate plan? Anyone done it before on any system (not necessarily Google Voice?)

=Ryan
ryan@adobe.com

Waiting till they re-open GrandCentral for Canada to do the same thing.

Why would they limit it after it was already available for Canada — very lame google!

I think you are being very tolerant to android because you are moving to it and you just want to convince yourself that there is something better than iPhone 3Gs. You’ve ignored all the bad stuff in android and focused on the good parts in effort to reach your conclusions and strengthen it.

That is not how journalism and reporting should be, too bad.

What about email and other PDA functions? Are you only interested in phone functions? What about email?

Thanks.

I have a blackberry, Verizon – dislike immensely. Was considering IPhone.

Looking for alternate solutions, live by email, don’t use Vonage.

damn I wish GV was in the UK…

And being able to type SMS in the browser and keep records of all of my calls, SMS and (transcribed) voicemail is really nice. I think Microsoft is working on something like that for WinMobile too, but I don’t think they offer “Mobile Telecom Freedom” the way GV does.

so far there is nothing about the myTouch that I don’t like. But you are right, perhaps I’m just basking in the glow of actual mobile coverage at my house. silly me.

And despite claiming you never have to deal with a carrier, you, of course, STILL ARE DEALING WITH A MOBILE CARRIER.

It is all shiny and fine when you first move to a service…

Mike: what would be good is that you give us an honest review in about 1-2 months after using the HTC Hero (which performances sucks!) / T-mobile / Google Voice.

That would make your post a bit more credible and interesting. I would like TC to get less “personal” posts that we have seen in the recent weeks.

Also, I don’t understand what are you all going on about Apple these days. If you don’t like it just quit why shout about it?

right now i’m using an imap email solution and just set it up in the Android email app on the phone. I’m syncing Mac contacts to Gmail contacts and then syncing Gmail contacts to the phone. And syncing Google Calendar to the calendar app on the phone. overall, it’s working very well. And much better than mobileme on iPhone/Mac, which never synced contacts or calendar properly at all.

Palm Pre x2

Yes google voice is cool. But Didn’t we have number portability like a long time ago ?

Seriously great update. This is going to gain a ton of momentum in the wake of your actions. Thanks for not sugar coating it and managing expectations.

I wanted to know though, since you are using Tmo, but making phone calls out from your Google Voice number, then you are not able to take advantage of the Unlimited IN Network / Mobile2Mobile calling minutes then right?

These days, it seems as if everyone tends to move to a carrier not only because of hardware, but because of this marketing in network free calling deals. What can you do? Get a high plan w/ more minutes I guess.

“I don’t understand what are you all going on about Apple these days. If you don’t like it just quit why shout about it?”

because I shout for a living.

I’ll definitely check back in in a couple of months. Although I’ll likely be on the Pre by then, or a new Android phone (a ton of new ones are coming out). The cool thing is I will keep my phone number at Google Voice, so I can switch my phones all the time easily.

But you are still doing business with a carrier… Tmobile. So isn’t that statement in your post mis-leading?

OMG please don’t let MG Siegler find out

no idea about free calls/minutes to whoever. finding a way to save money on mobile isn’t really my thing. I just want a perfect user experience no matter what it costs.

that being said, tmobile is a lot cheaper than at&t overall. and the coverage is waaaaaay better here in silicon valley.

Sprint doesn’t offer short term contracts on the Pre do they?

Plus, CDMA phones don’t work in Europe, so that’s useless outside the US.

What I meant is the service itself. IIRC, the point of Google voice is to use different services with a single phone number. However, if T-Mobile is like most carriers, they want you to use their service as much as possible and in return they give you a subsidized phone. So if you use your Android phone as just one part of your array of equipment tied to a number, they’re not getting enough call revenue.

Cheers

yeah, he’s been whining about this whole process, says i’ll be back on iphone/at&t within a couple of months. that isn’t going to happen.

What bothers me about AT&T is not the customer service per se… when I cancelled my AT&T account, I got an automated voice call asking me to rate the “customer service”… really, I don’t have a problem with the service (at least not the people helping me).. I have a problem with __AT&T__ and their goddamn policies!!!

But of course, they assume that it’s the “customer service” and not THEM. WTF??? I have no avenue to complain to them about this.

Mike, I wonder… how is the SMS experience via Google Voice using the Android phone? Do SMS(s) spontaneously appear as they do on all current handsets, as well as responding is it the same too; just as easy and intuitive?

That sounds, great. I can’t wait until I get my hands on Google’s voice service!

Great work man. seriously.

so, basically:

I call 012345 which is your phone number, google then redirects that call to 543210 which is your *actual* number that you have with t-mobile? How does it work with outgoing calls?

Question. I don’t really get this whole google voice thing. Are you still with a phone service plan and still paying a monthly fee to that company, or is this totally free? And if it’s free, does that mean that by switching from Verizon to Google Voice when my plan ends will save me the $30/month I’m paying for my phone service?

haha. most ridiculous comment ever. seriously made a good laugh out of it

Hi Michael,

At the risk of sounding like a moron, here: Aren’t you still having to do business directly with T-Mobile?

If I’ve understood Google Voice correctly (I’m happily, luckily using it along with GV Mobile) it can’t work except as a piggyback on some other connection, e.g. T-Mobile.

No?

3 months

My grandma used to change supermarkets all the time because the price of bread would go up at one, or go down at the other. She kept a close eye, and would travel anywhere to pay 5 cents less, by principle.

And the Location of The Inexpensive Bread would make it into every phone call, somehow, no matter what else was going on in the world.

Hi, Grandma.

I’d prefer they iPhone/mobile-optimize. An App is over-kill for this.

You may not be tied to a carrier but you are becoming more tied to Google. With your contacts, email, documents, chat, phone OS and now your phone number, Google pretty much owns you.

I personally don’t see a problem with it as I use multiple Google services but it does open the door for things. Should Google become the next Apple and turn into the thing they hate most (Microsoft), you, me and millions of others are screwed.

no need to wait, gDial Pro and dkGoogleVoice are available now. I use gDial Pro and love it.

“no carrier will ever have a stranglehold on me again.”

Yep, you’re right. Now only Google will have a stranglehold on you.

One way or the other, you still have a master to answer to.

Good answer ✔

[...] Original post: How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice [...]

I just don’t understand why Google voice has everyone so excited. If I want to switch providers, I take my number with me. So far, my number has been with Nextel, T-Mobile, Verizon and now AT&T. The only time I ran into trouble was when I switched to AT&T and wanted to switch over a New Jersey number to a California address. Took a little bit of time to sort out and then it was over. If I want to switch to another provider, it shouldn’t be too bad.

Everyone has my cell number, because that is the only number to call me at. Sure, I have a house phone that we use only to open the front door. We both use cell phones all the time for everything.

Now, don’t get me wrong I do see how some people might find this feature useful. But why is everyone like OMG I need to get Google voice. Do you really want to give out a single phone number that will have advertisements on it one day ?

Although if Google went crazy you could always port your number back to a carrier, keep your documents filed neatly on your drive or whatever ‘cloud,’ etc…

Point taken, though. There’s something about looming largeness that makes me a little nervous.

I have been holding out for over a year due to Android vs. iPhone. I started using Google Voice about a month ago and when Apple banned related apps they made my indecision disappear very quickly.

The GV integration with Cupcake could use a little work, but it’s definitely good enough. I’m just bummed that T-Mobile’s stock Cupcake build is not as polished at HTC Hero’s. The myTouch’s current unhackibility is also a thorn on my side. I may downgrade to a G1.

So why isn’t Google an MVNO? I remember reading an article (LA Times maybe?) stating that most prepaid third-party MVNOs are doing horribly. Either way, I agree with you. I proposed this back in 2006: http://hectorparra.wikispaces.com/digiversal Glad to see what the VCs told me wasn’t going to happen has and is continuing to happen.

HGP

yes, you need a service plan with a carrier, or prepaid minutes, or something. and a device. but google voice controls my actual phone number, and their app (see links in post) take over the dialer automatically so that outgoing calls show that number too. they also take care of text messages.

correct. but they don’t control my phone number, and i can do short term contracts and switch whenever i want.

The big winner for me is the dirt-cheap international calls. And if Google gets heavy-handed (in-call ads, for instance) I assume you can always port your number to any competitor.

yes. all true. hopefully we’ll have a couple of years before they turn evil in the mobile space. :-)

Yes, but I turn the SMS off, because Google Voice has push.

Aren’t you getting into a long term contract with T-Mobile as well?

You never mention that your Crunchpad uses Google OS so you have a conflict of interest in this whole scheme. The My Touch superior to the 3GS? Puh-lease. Especially in apps. You also forgot to mention that Google now has the ultimate control over you and thats not a good thing. I’m not impressed.

it doesn’t work on outgoing directly, one has to have a smart phone w/ browser (or future mobile web or native apps), point to voice.google.com and have google voice call you back (and your party you are calling).

I called someone with Google Voice for the first time the other day. It is somewhat off-putting for the caller to get the recorded message, have to say your name, and then wait to get routed. Michael, it sounds like you’re not doing this — all calls (other than blocked numbers) get immediately routed to both phones, skipping this step?

I like T-Mobile as a company but would never consider them for a smartphone because they essentially have no 3G service to speak of. Which you never mention.

Not really, he doesn’t rely on any carrier anymore. If t-mobile go shit he can just switch to a new one in minutes.

That’s a bit of a sticky issue for anyone covering technology these days. You’ve got to use _some_ sort of tech yourself.

And further to the point, if you look at the top of this page you’ll see a big ol’ Google ad.

I’m not sure there’s a way around it, though.

You can disable that name-announcement bit. And yes, it’s annoying. For the caller and the called.

Does anybody know if/when Google will release a GV app for symbian phones ? Like many I am using now GVdialer but it’s not so great.

For those that don’t have the luxury of test phones paid for by third party sources, porting to Google Voice would do nothing for them. I understand you are in a unique situation but it concerns me your post will cause your followers to make costly mistakes regarding their mobile phone service.

Isn’t Yowl a yammer client for Android?

http://nullwire.com/yowl

Mike your just a bit upset at the moment which is understandable. iPhone is like the unfaithful sexy girl who seduces you and then ignores you because she does not really depend on you. Google however needs you and her life revolves around yours. She will always be around, she is boring and does not know how to keep you satisfied. As a result you will get bored of the monotony and guess what thats when ms iPhone will creep back into your life ;)

How does this prevent a carrier from having a stranglehold on you? The stranglehold is signing a two year contract to start your service, not that you can’t port your number. You’ve been able to port your number for years now, so until contracts go away (never) your carrier will always have a stranglehold on you.

I would love to have Google Voice handle my number and everything for me and can’t wait to do this, but I’m not doing it under the miss-assumption that a carrier won’t be able to tie me to two year contracts anymore.

Can you elaborate a bit on how this has apparently freed you from carriers having a stranglehold on you?

Almost 15 years into the internet era, Microsoft has gotten away with a lot.

That’s a feature you can optionally enable to screen unknown callers. If the person has you in their Google Voice contacts list, you shouldn’t get screened like that.

Not a fan of google voice… how much more data should we give google?

Learn to write English, zx. Your case is never helped by illiteracy.

Michael,

I agree almost 100%. I too just got the myTouch Android and I am running Android mobile app on both blackberry and the myTouch (G2). The G2 though is still sluggish and camera quality not as good, but total number control via GVoice is nice.

Improvements needed on Google Voice:

– You cannot send any SMS’ to short codes – so you cannot use GoogleSMS, or banking services. I’m sure they adjust this, but it’s kind of needed.

- They have no “archive” option on the mobile apps – only delete – and need to add that because google search is useless if you cannot keep them.

– Int’l support is needed

Overall, Google Voice is killer. While there is some threat to Apple, I really see it as Apple and Google versus everyone else for the near term. The day will come when Google and Apple go head to head, but in the near term, this is worse for Microsoft, Nokia, Blackberry, Palm and everyone else.

It’s Design versus Openness. Ultimately, I predict even Design will not be able to beat the Darwinism of Android openness.

The main reason I’m hesitant about moving to GV is the in/out costs for calls with it – if GV = free, like totally free except for little service costs (changing the number, porting a number in/out, expanded voicemail space, etc.) then that’s not a problem and I’m more than willing to switch over ASAP.

The other problems I have are call quality and reliability – quality is key, and this is coming from a former Vonage cancellations drone. I used Vonage all the time and the quality was pretty good, but for other people it was one of the killer features – it killed the experience for them and forced them over to another service. There were times, few and far between, that the call quality suffered for me (mostly when the calls were forwarded to my cell for whatever reason) but on the whole it was a decent experience (only switched away from them for a landline because we got a good deal with a landline/DSL combo deal at the time).

Reliability, well.. Vonage is pretty solid but GV is an unknown at this point. GrandCentral was pretty solid but suffered a little during the transition into GV and frankly it may be a little too new for me to switch completely over at this point. The one thing that would have me over in a heartbeat is a SLA from GV that would provide for something like 95-99 % uptime or something.. and at the same time a provision to keep our numbers and move over to another service with no strings in case Google decides to sell or kill it in the near future.

Other than that, it’s pretty awesome. =)

Yah, since I balked (and did not grab GV Mobile Paid version App BEFORE it was removed from the App Store) I now have to log into Google Voice on my iPhone and leave the Safari window open (so to speak, I still use other apps at will) to easily access Google Voice by just returning to Safari to check SMS messages and place calls. I still need to tackle the issue of Google Voice SMS notification though.

The Palm Pre is an excellent phone, and I’ve had no problems with Sprint. I am very much looking forward to them opening the app store up and getting a flood of cool apps!

Until you can run your own telecommunications service off equipment you put together on your own without assistance from anyone else, at all, yes, you’re going to answer to someone.

I have a Pre now and cannot wait until Google Voice comes out with a native app for it this fall (hopefully). I also have hopes that public porting will be available relatively around the same time. Except for the fact that my phone is tied into my business number (we have had this setup since it was Grand Central). When is Google going to let two phone numbers call my phone. My first number is my business number and the second is my personal. When I try to add my phone to my new Google Voice Invitation Account it states that I have already signed up my phone. Although Google Voice is in Beta (and could be for the next five years…) it still lacks a few features that I need at this time.

But will he pay a big early termination fee every time? I don’t see how that helps.

Yeah, being able to make/take calls is a nice thing.

I, and I suspect many others, enjoy the “personal” posts. Truly, I find personal insight backed by well informed experience way more valuable that white paper sterility. Arrington successfully represents the sentiments of millions of tech users and lovers and it is refreshing (and fun) to have him articulate his good and bad experiences with the same tech services and products that we use! So thank you, Mike, for sharing with us. Ignore the tossers that don’t get what blogging is all about. Cheers.

Google Voice, is the future it will be interesting to see if mass adoption occurs.

Neal Saferstein
http://nealsaferstein.com

Nice article. I recently sold my iPhone 3g for the HTC hero and one of the reasons was due to the Google Voice banning fiasco, even though it doesn’t affect me in the UK.

The restrictions Apple impose are sadly hard for me to swallow. Android as a platform is fantastic. I’m currently using an alternative media player on my phone other than the HTC app. This is the kind of thing I like about open platforms, choice.
Good luck with Android and i hope you enjoy it as much as I have these last few weeks!

You obviously didn’t read the post.

If you want awesome syncing, the Palm Pre has it. I just entered my e-mail address, and it automatically synced my calendar, contacts, and of course e-mail. It was the easiest thing!

Oh please. You switched, and now EVERYTHING is better on the other side. I guess those grapes are sour, huh?

Eventually google voice will come to the iphone, and you’ll be stuck with a second rate phone, which is ironic, since you’re a second rate tech reporter. Enjoy!

A flood of cool apps. Haha.

Time has changed. Apple is forbidding iPhone users to install Google Voice app called “GV Mobile” on the device. They decided to take it off App Store. Why? Just because.
This smart phone is essentially a computer with operating system and an ability to install third party software like any other computer. When I called Apple, tech support representative informed me that Apple does not have to explain why they are forbidding me to install Google apps after I purchased device planning to use it with Google Voice. She also informed me that App Store is like any other store has right to choose what they put on their shelves.
Well, I respect their choice, but the last time I checked in my neighborhood mall none of their stores are FORBIDING me to use products from anywhere else but from their store. Does Apple respect my choice? Communist China government did not dare to make Lenovo give me a list of software I can install on my laptop. Lenovo respects my choice because they know what will happen with their laptops if they would try to deny this choice to people in free world.
Just imagine what would happen if Microsoft would make an agreement with Comcast and set up a list of software you are allowed to install. What if they allow you to connect to internet only through Comcast? What if Comcast decides they don’t like some software and a week later Microsoft would FORBID using it without any meaningful explanation? That would definitely be considered mafia-like behavior and nobody would tolerate it.
We are not tolerating this behavior neither from China, US government, Microsoft, nor from Comcast. For how long are we going to tolerate this behavior from Apple? I erased my iPhone, I smashed it with hammer and I will send it on Monday to Steve Jobs, c/o Apple 1 Infinite Loop Cupertino, CA 95014
Time has changed.

I completely agree with gvhater.

over here in Urop, we don’t usually have exclusivity contracts, so people can get their iphones with any carrier they like, plus switch easily w/ phone portability, so i don’t know if it’s as useful as it is in the US

Mobileme syncing works perfectly for me. Perhaps in this case it’s the user and not the software?

How do I port my number to Google Voice?

Why make it personal, man?

It’s gadgets.

You’re joking, right? The average user doens’t care about this, no care who arrington is. There is no momentum. You’re living in a dream world.

Nevermind, I just read the bottom of the article.

No, they don’t. I asked (or tried to ask) a customer service rep (and even Sprint “tech support”, if they can be called that) why, if I already have unlimited internet, that I had to go with their silly $100/month (pay for) Everything plan.

They can’t (or won’t) explain.

Who gives a f**k.

F**K YOU MIKE “B*TCH@SS” ARRINGTON

By “heavy handed”, do you mean, “start making money”? Aside from advertising, how will GV make Google money?

Yeah, he’s a dumb f**ker.

“Turn evil”? You sound stupid boy.

Long live Kubrick!!

This is not the only feature, nor it’s most important. GV allows you to completely control and manage how, when, and where each contact (or contact group) is able to reach you. It also eliminates absurdly expensive text plans from the realm of necessity. GV additionally acts as a repository for all your SMS and voicemail transmissions (for you data pack rats out there). The fact that changing a phone or carrier doesn’t interrupt GV’s seamless service is just a bonus. A great one.

There’s good advertising. And there’s heavy-handed advertising. (As noted, ‘in-call.’)

And so forth.

Often free domestic SMS comes with unlimited data. But you do still have a real point. And international SMS is free too.

I call Hong Kong for 2 cents per minute, the call quality is pretty good, and I just dial a 406 number to reach a specific number. It’s just awesome, after being ripped off by international call service companies again and again.

I never would of thought Mike would be on T-Mobile, I’m sure they welcome you with open arms!

I sync my iPhone with my Google Voice account’s Contacts using Google Sync – No need for MobileMe.

I will say that some iPhone Contact fields (i.e. ‘Company Main,’ – I use ‘Work’ instead) may not sync properly with GV, but most do. I haven’t gotten around to sync’ing the Google Calendar as of yet.

Also, check-out Nuevasync, as mentioned on TechCrunchIT – Sync your Contacts and up to 11 Calendars for free. Premium svc adds email sync capability, dedicated servers, and up to 50 Calendars.

[...] under General Even though i’m in the thick of my iPhone love affair, this article found on TechCrunch makes some very valid points.  There is a whole lot to love about Android.  the reason I have [...]

…and control is indeed ‘carrier-independent’ cool.

Google Voice will be available as a Web app for iPhone shortly. Then you can have the best phone and GV and won’t have to settle for a warmed over Android phonewith no 3G.

this is exactly the reason why Apple rejected the Google Voice app…. and some speculate it was because of pressure from AT&T who was said to be losing business over it

That’s a very good point! I think there is a delay – no persistent connection. And when you receive a forwarded SMS (through GV and then your carrier’s SMS gateway), the reply-to number is sometimes a 406 number (Montana area code – assigned by google). Google needs to figure out some way to make things more persistent. If Google Talk can be persistent, they can set up an XMPP based persistent connection for Google Voice, Gmail, etc.

That’s a real flaw.

Michael,

I use and enjoy PDANet on my G1. Easy to install and don’t have to root.
http://www.junefabrics.com/android/index.php

It is a 30 day trial with a limitation to http only connections after trial (so no real issue for general surfing).

Will number portability go both directions? I’m passing out Google Voice number to everyone now, so when portability comes will I be able to port that over to my cell phone?

Good for you Mike. I switched to T-Mobile from the iPhone several months ago and I couldn’t be happier. I didn’t expect to like Android much, but I found it much more useable than the iPhone OS. And as for the argument that Android doesn’t have as many apps, I’ve found an app for everything I wanted so far. And they were much easier to find without having to search through hundreds of useless applications with awful iTunes interface.

myTouch 3G is halfway decent, but I’d get the HTC Hero instead of the Palm Pre, Mike.

I am allways amazed by how people from the US expect you to have perfect grammar. Have you ever been outside of the US Sammy? There are other countries beside…you know.

Actually, there’s quite a bit more features than just number portability, some of which are extremely cool. I suggest you check it out.

I think every cell phone carrier executive who read this article today shat in their pants. Good job! No more excessive profits, and no more screwing of customers by cell phone companies.

Phone carrier CEO’s: You are our dumb pipe now! Haha!

AT&T customer service is okay, although I’m pissed at the GV Mobile banning (I fortunately downloaded it before the ban).

If Android and Pre get enough decent apps, I would consider ditching the iPhone too–but I need more productivity apps for me to consider that.

PWNED.

Not even 2nd rate. All the bastard does is down Apple in hopes of making the CRUNCHPAD look like a better device. Funny, I hear that it doesn’t do SH*T without the internet.

F**k that.

O.K, now i get it. A Pre fanboy..how funny☺
You’ll get these Apps when pigs will fly!

Last night Google voice didn’t deliver a few of my SMS messages. I’ve been using primarily for SMS messages for the last few weeks which is great because I can text from the computer while at home. If it stops being reliable however, will have to discontinue use.

Michael do you think Android will overtake the iphone market within the next 5 or 10 so years? I really wanted a companion phone ever since the sidekick II and the iphone fits all my needs minus Apples pain in the butt syncing methods and their insistence on grasping a tight hold on what apps are and aren’t allowed on the iphone, including google voice.

I’m very reluctant to try new phones because it seems that the OS provider and hardware manufacture can never seem to converge and create a good smartphone that just works seamlessly 90 percent of the time. It’s either the OS is too clunky for the phone or the phone isn’t fast enough for the OS.

I am willing to give up my iphone (and the hundreds of dollars I invested in apps) once a hardware manufacturer finally creates a “Google Experience” phone that works as naturally as the iphone but I don’t think they are quite there yet.

You can tether using a rooted version of the htc magic.

http://code.google.com/p/android-wifi-tether/

I do have an account and played around with it a bit. I still don’t get what the big deal with it is.

I haven’t seen anything earth shattering. What did I miss ?

can’t you just pay full price for the phone and skip the contract (pay month-to-month)?

[...] How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voicetechcrunch.com [...]

I agree with this. The average “Joe/Jane” does not have the luxury to have such a frivolous approach. As the author of this post has already mentioned and clearly demonstrated in his career that he “Shouts (read Yells) for a living” – it is one sided and clearly not news!

Mike is walking the fine edge of the blade and exposing the fact that he will always have bloody feet – ‘myTouch phone (which TMobile has supplied to me for free for a test period)’ AND the fact that you cannot yet port your mobile phone number officially just yet is a good indication that this post really was written just to raise the hair on peoples necks and nothing more. Oh, gee, this is almost the same senerio that made the Gilmore Gang on TWIT TV become homeless….

jailbreak your phone. solves all these issues.

popurls.com // popular today…

story has entered the popular today section on popurls.com…

for receiving SMS notifications for GV, use PROWL app in combination with GROWL on your computer and a python script (check it out on the Prowl website). It’s not pretty but it works.

I’d also recommend jailbreaking your device (it takes 5 minutes) and downloading GV Mobile free from Cydia.

I’ve been a Google Voice (GrandCentral) subscriber for years and used the number as my official business line, which forwarded to a variety of phones (namely my Verizon Blackberry).

I gave it up a few months ago because Google Voice simply doesn’t ring through reliably. I would constantly have clients complained that it went right to voicemail (my Google Voice voicemail) or that it would ring and ring and never answer (which shouldn’t happen, because the # it rang to has a VM too). There were also times that it rang just once.

I also can’t stand the iPhone — I have one with AT&T, but use it only for browsing on 3G, and I make all my calls on my BB Tour on Verizon. I hope you have a better experience with Google Voice than I’ve had. It’s a nice idea with room for improvement.

Side rant about Google Voice: filtering by the # that someone is calling *from* is backwards. Most of my clients have corporate phone trees and the # they call from changes every time they pick up the phone. What would be nice is if I could give people different #s and filter that way.

most likely that’s att and not the iphone.

>>>Who gives a f**k.

F**K YOU MIKE “B*TCH@SS” ARRINGTON

==============================

Are you serious? Why even read Techcrunch if your going to come here and bash people, especially the site owner. People are just trying to make a living and this kind of verbal abuse is really lame.
I dont really (at all) know Mike but this blog is really helpful even if I dont agree with some of the writers.

Just reading such filth makes my stomach get all sour.

Bummer…..

zx
You shouldn´t be so sensitive about how people talk about your strange language

… *Always.

Mike – if Apple accepted the Google Voice app would you keep your iPhone3GS and just unlock it /switch carriers to someone better than ATT?

With mytouch 3g (or the G1) being google phones, gmail is the standard native email app. and it’s flawless. You get the email to your phone the moment it gets to your inbox. you can also do other forms of email as well (another email app that’s also standard) and format it to notify you whenever you like. Trust, android is on it’s way.

and yes, mytouch does give the iphone 3gs a run for it’s money, and in various cases, outdoing it. there is nothing about the UI, various apps, memory, etc that isn’t customizable. it can do everything the iphone can do… and then some. the only thing it can’t do that I know of so far (since I’ve used both phones) is pinch a web page to zoom. (awww noooooooo!!!!!!!) lol

You all need to STFU. Seriously how can TC help other countries enact laws that can assist consumers getting the same options Mike was able to achieve with T-Mobile. Developing countries like the ones in the Caribbean are being raped annal without Vaseline.

I cannot wait for the day Google join forces with the top players and create a universal Internet phone that can be used anywhere and not pay a extra dime except the Internet connection fee.

I’m not. I just find it very funny☺

depending on the plan that you have and how much you actually spend. I have unlimited everything (minutes, messages, email, data) for about 85 on tmo.

Will GV ever come to Europe (or France at least…)??

I’m dying of impatience…

actually, from what various reviews have pointed out, is that the mytouch 3g has the same build as the hero from a hardware standpoint. however, due to google making a ui that is a bit more simplistic, and htc’s sense ui is a bit more complex, it actually makes the mytouch a bit faster because it has less to do… unless you want to make it do more like the hero

[...] the rest here: How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice Share and [...]

the only thing that the iphone is dominant in IS THE APPS. do you really plan on using all 60,000 of them? probably not. trust when I tell you. I’ve used both the iphone as well as the mytouch. mytouch is dominant in everything else.

>Just reading such filth makes my stomach get all sour.

There is no reason – none – for TC to retain such posts, other than a very misguided sense of egalitarianism. TC should go hire a student at minimum wage to clean out the trash periodically. It probably wouldn’t even take more than a couple of hours a day.

their 3g service is definitely expanding.

eventually maybe… once the head of apple/att decide to unban it. they are the reason that google voice isn’t on the iphone. because they want to be able to control everything that your phone is. Android however, wants you to be able to control your own individual phone

MICHAEL, YOU DOG!!!! HAD TO RUB IT IN THAT THEY GAVE YOU ADVANCED NUMBER PORTABILITY YOU LITTLE %$#@$#. MIGHT HAVE TO REDUCE MY ORDER OF YOUR IPADS WHEN THEY SHIP YOU LUCKY $#@# :-)

EXACTLY!!!!!

iPhones are given more credit than they are due. It’s all part of a fad.

Hey Mike, what happens on the callers end who is blocked? How is this handled? Do they know they’re blocked by a message saying “Your ass has been blocked lulz” or?

Thanks.

> no…Google Voice controls my phone number,

While I really understand the disgust with AT&T (as an iPhone user and developer), I do not understand the total acceptance of Google as either reliable or trustworthy. This is a company built solely on parasitizing other people’s content – other people’s web content, print content, video content. They scanned virtually every book in existence without regard for copyright and crossed their fingers hoping that they had enough money to handle the fallout (and their millions sent towards Washington are paying off big time in that regard.)

So what makes anybody think that Google won’t use Google Voice in the same manner? Do they permanently archive all of your voicemails and VM transcriptions? Will they care when you tell them to stop doing it? Would *you* care who heard those VMs or electronically searched the transcripts? Do you ever discuss anything private or confidential on the phone?

Google Voice is cool technology, but it’s worth taking a hard look at the ethics of the company behind it.

My ideal setup:

google voice (convert everything to text)
cheapest cell phone w/ on demand usage (only for emergencies)
ipod touch (only for maps/yelp/apps)

I will never consider a CDMA phone. Far too limiting.

Remy – t-mobile does not shine in the US. Their national coverage is terrible but t-mobile coverage in the Bay area where all these tech bloggers live happens to be better than at&t. In Dallas where I live, at&t shines and t-mobile bites.

This is another reason that the government need to step in an regular Apple and Google. As a country we can not offord elites like Arrington to determine our telephonic policy

But isn’t google working on a browse version of voice??if that’s the case I don’t see any reason to switch I like my iphone

It is very cool. Enterprises have had single number service for years. The carriers could have deployed this feature years ago as well but they wanted to keep the walls up around the garden for as long as possible. I hope the CFOs at the carriers are removing any remaining entries on the balance sheet for goodwill.

But palm pre is CDMA. Yuchhh.

good for you, but i don’t understand something…
you bought and paid for an iphone (as did i). it is yours to do with as you wish. a little ultrasnow and you pawn it. no moral dilemma here. it’s your phone. and now you switch to t-mobile and google voice, and whatever. so i’ll give you a 100bucks for your old iphone.

Mike – sounds like a good move. The new Android phones also sound like big improvements over the first model. Worth trying, for sure. What I think may be wrong with your new equation is capacity planning. My suspicion is that Google will be challenged with capacity issues like everyone else. Sure, their problems aren’t between tower and net, just net, but if you have millions of Google Voice customers they will be challenged to provide high levels of service.

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, the telcos have understood capacity planning for decades – even if they often fall down. Capacity doesn’t come for free and it’s hard to provide high levels of call service to extremely large audiences, simultaneously.

Perhaps you could shoot a short video of some of the features you like the most on your new phone.

What do we want? Google Voice in Australia. When do we want it? Now!

No single carrier has an exlcusive contract with Apple down here, so why not get the GV/iPhone thing happening here first?

I’m wondering if carriers could have provided GV style services themselves and stave off the competition.

In other words, how much of GV’s value is about undercutting carrier costs, and how much the actual service? Could a carrier provide the same services and still be able to maintain its infrastructure profitably?

I suppose one day they could offer a lite (ad-supported) version and a pro (paid) version.

You are a maron.. What will happen if Google stops supporting Google Voice?

The iPhone is a PERFECT example of how Apple can take a product that has potential to be amazing yet some how they figure out how to make it a terrible experience.

I loved apple, but honestly Apple will never be any big part of the market share in any market.

Their stock is also one of the most inflated on the markets. If you want good money just short it. Its a worthless stock.

You don’t have to sign a contract to get service.

It is monopoly all the same — Google or Apple, who cares? I mean, let’s be honest, you make it sound like one is better than the other, whereas in reality, these are just the two of the choices we have.

Telstra here in Australia provided a similar service years ago. It was more basic, but it would ring multiple phones and you could set a schedule via a website to let it know which phones to call when.

They discountinued it, I believe because of lack of uptake, but it wasn’t marketing well and few people knew about it.

I have to agree with this point. Google remains an advertising company – albeit one with a bunch of neat gadgets and add-ons. But in terms of trusting them with any personal information, I pass.

Tethering works just fine too if you root the phone. Lot’s of info on how to do that.

As soon as Google Voice offers faxing I’ll jump on it. At that point you’ll want to short eFax stock (JCOM) and say good bye to RingCentral and the other players in the space.

Yahoo!!! (my response, not related to the corporate version). Thank you, Michael for exposing the Emperor not wearing any clothes. You are my idol (until you, too, appear naked in the streets). The skeptic I am, the lover and criticizer of tech many people accuse me of… Thank you.

I left Verizon years ago, when I got an N95, but I just left a voice mail on the phone, which I gave to a friend, that stands to this day, giving anyone a forwarding number. Unfortunately I also left a Nov 11 date in the recording without a year, who knew he would forget the PIN code to the voice mail, my voice lives on the voice mail for years, so now my main number is still the GrandCentral number from some time back, and it is great, I can choose where to answer all calls. Upgraded to Google Voice, awsome, this will be big, even bigger if it stays free.

What MyTouch apps do you use the most (besides Google Voice)? Anything to recommend?

I’m using the Pre with Google Voice now. I’m not blown away by either one. Google Voice’s service is sketchy (calls ring once, then go straight to voice mail; callers complain of long delays — like you’re calling overseas — between them speaking and me responding, etc.), in my area at least. The Pre, which I’ve been using less than three weeks, is starting to feel flimsy. I can see the “oreo effect” coming soon; the mini-USB charger input is getting loose and wonky.

Yeah, the Pre UI is schnazzy, and Google Voice has great promise. But neither one of them is there yet.

Definitely google should be ab MVNO. I set up MVNO’s for a living and I really think they’d clean up.

How about battery life?

[...] shortage of controversy surrounding the company right now thanks largely to the hugely popular and hugely unpopular aspects of the iPhone. But Jason Calacanis’ post yesterday entitled “The Case Against [...]

Jeez. It’s a phone, not a religion. Use whatever works for you and get on with it.

[...] existing Google Voice apps, two weeks ago. The repercussions continue to reverberate and grow, from customer anger to developer disgust to regulatory [...]

Michael, there is tethering for Android. It’s usb, but works great. You can’t get the app from the Android Market and it’s Windows only, but you can download directly from the developer here: http://www.junefabrics.com/android/index.php

Cost is $29 unless you only need it for http — then you can use the free version. Check it out.

If you still need to have a contract with a mobile carrier, you have just traded one carrier’s stranglehold for another.

If you can get a short-term contract with a mobile carrier you can switch carriers with simple number portability at any time. You don’t need Google Voice for that.

According to Billshrink, the myTouch has better battery life than the iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre.

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/08/06/billshrink-t-mobile-mytouch-3g-trumps-iphone-3gs-palm-pre/

No rooting necessary. Check out PDANet for Android. http://www.junefabrics.com/android/index.php

Stop sucking D&CK

Yeah, but does Apple have the ‘Do no evil’ mantra? No, they don’t even hide the fact that they do evil. So far Google has lived up to their pledge to ‘Do no evil’, IMO.

Even in their ads. Would you rather have ads for pr0n or “male enhancement” or junk mortgages or would you rather have ads for products you’d actually consider buying?

LMAO NICE

TECHCRUNCH SUX

So true.

Mike,

Kudos for your decision . AT&T has throttle hold on my BB Bold. For those who dont want to forward their phone one can forward all their present phones to their Google number and at the same time put all the phones to ring if called on the google number.
This has worked out great for my uses.
Keep up the great work you do!
Earlwallace

While you’re at it, get rid of Vonage too and cut that monthly fee. Instructions on how to do that here:

http://bit.ly/jaAAV

You basically setup a free Gizmo account and point it to a cheap SIP phone (a real phone you can touch, not the software). If you want to dial out, do so from google voice and have it ring the new “home” phone.

Oh and get Zombie Run for android, your neighbors will think you’re crazy as you run through the streets trying to avoid imaginary zombies.

And idea how long until Google Voice is available in Canada? or other countries?

Any word on an official Google Voice app for windows mobile?

I have google voice right now, but making calls from my windows mobile phone is cumbersome.

[...] See original here:  How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice [...]

Worth noting that Google App for Domain email addresses are not working with the official Android Google Voice App.

In order for the official Google app to work – your Google Voice account must have been established with a gmail.com login.

Tell me about it!

I would love to utilize all these products and apps but have no reason to – no one to call…

HollyM
http://www.thessayist.com

Truth be told, advertising is a fact of life. You will be bombarded with it no matter where you go.

With that simple fact in mind, I’d much rather have ads that are targeted brought to my attention rather than random ads that have nothing to do with what I’m doing or looking at.

While some things Google does might be questionable they have yet (key word there) to do something as bad as Microsoft, Apple, or AT&T. It should also be noted that Google is working on and trying to bring us technology that’s cool, innovative, and interesting. Something that has long been associated with Apple.

Waahh. I can’t have Google voice so I need to quit Apple and AT&T.

Will you to quit Google on any front? Did you add Dwayne Wade to your faves? I am sure T-mobile and Google Android are thankful for the free, positive marketing hopeful that they can attract more than 325K new subscribers in the 3rd Qtr.

The thing is everybody knows how Apple rolls. They have a closed system and do what they want to do without our input. This isnt the first time they pulled a stunt like this but everyone seems like it is. Before you bought the iPhone you know Apple controlled every aspect of the phone. So why complain now? Why didn’t people complain in the magnitude they are doing now before?

Everybody sounds like the NFL players who complain about their contract when they have one great year. They act like NFL is not giving them their freedom so they make this big “holdout” dog and pony show. They knew how the game was played when they signed their contract. They could’ve signed a 1 or 2 year deal but they sign the 6 year deal.

C’mon people don’t get new on me now. Apple is the total opposite of Google in terms of being “open”.

Exhibit A: Vindication By Troll (VBT).

November 24, 2003 was years ago and for a reason. Google it. Learn something.

VoIP providers offering SIP O/T services have been enabling “average users” to port numbers into and out of services with wondrous degrees of sophistication and success for several years. Larger players in this reseller field include larger CLEC operators such as Level 3 (used by Google Voice).

If you are a running a small business and you’ve put your life blood into your company and given YOUR company phone number to customers, printed it on everything, and then your local RBOC fails you — you actually do care about this.

In summary, piss off.

Good for you!

I’ve been dissatisfied with AT&T since I got the iPhone back in July 2007. GV offers me freedom from mobile carriers. I’ve been toying with the idea of just using pre-paid or buying a MiFi.

I do like the iPhone though and wold expect that Apple would rethink their refusal of GV apps with a little help from FCC.

Per

Cheers to following Om Malik’s lead, again.

Gosh, Michael, I guess this means you won’t be buying the Apple “tablet” when it comes out, since it will probably stomp the TC tablet. Speaking of which, where is your tablet?

Oh, and by the way, no, you didn’t have to pay a $175 termination fee. The termination fee is prorated downward $5/month and you had the iPhone 3G for about a year, correct? What else in your post is also a lie or advertising speak? I see many candidates! For instance, let’s see some independent benchmarks between your myphone and the 3GS. You said the myphone is faster than the iPhone, but these days we only care about the iPhone 3GS, not the original (EDGE) iPhone and not what you “believe”.

True, they only have 3G in a microscopic part of the country. These fancy phones they advertise give the impression they are a 3G carrier, which they are NOT. I can’t use Tmobile in my office in the middle of a decent size city. But, I do prefer GSM because I frequently go to Europe.

I am on a T mobile flat rate plan. They collect the same from me every month whether I talk on my phone or not. In fact, if I never talk, they benefit.

How does the speed of the myphone compare to the speed of the iPhone 3GS? We don’t care about how the myphone compares in speed to the original EDGE iPhone.

AT&T’s $175 termination fee is prorated downward $5/month of service, so you did not pay $175.

[...] 1 votes vote How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice Crunch Network: CrunchBoard because it’s time for you to find a new Job2.0 submitted by [...]

Good. Now all of you iPhone malcontents jump ship and open up some extra bandwidth for the rest of us happy iPhone owners to enjoy. Buh bye now..

I wish Google will invest Voice in the Philippines. . .

I appreciate the ongoing coverage of problems with the AT&T network in the Bay Area. I may find myself switching carriers, too.

Michael, I think your blaming iPhone performance issues on AT&T has been misplaced. Right now I have a Nokia N86 8MP and both t-mobile and ATT SIM cards. Using both cards at the same location to access the same content (the best normalized testing environment I can create) AT&T’s network performance KILLS t-mobile. t-mobile’s network achieves Edge performance whereas AT&T’s usually hits “3.5G”. A page of SFgate loads about twice as fast on the AT&T network. In my opinion the OEMed iPhone has second rate radio modules that provide less than optimum network performance. That being said, as a customer of both companies, t-mobile’s customer service KILLS AT&T’s.

1) For the millionth time, just because AT&T sucks in your house does NOT mean it sucks everywhere. Where I live it is by far the most reliable carrier. TMobile has the worst coverage here.

2) I’ve used the mytouch and there is no comparison to the iPhone.

I put my AT&T SIM card into my G3, but am using GV (Google Voice) whenever there’s a wifi hotspot (most cafes in Palo Alto have one). Calling France is so cheap! I also share Michael’s sense a regained freefom. I still think the iPhone is superior in speed, but it was like Mac/PC in 1984. Eventually the PC won big market shares even starting as a less polished product. Openness always wins.

I’ve said it before “the iphone is sooooo 2007″.

I’ve had AT&T service for years, and I’ve always liked the idea that I can switch my SIM card and get service anywhere in the world, or even switch over to T-mobile without buying a new phone. But you know, I’ve never actually used that capability. Even when travelling, when I do need to make a phone call, skype is good enough.

So is CDMA too limiting only in theory? Do you actually use the freedom of GSM?

Wow that’s funny how Mike Arrington would prefer his FREE TEST MODEL over the iPhone 3GS. Now where have I heard that before?

Oh YEAH!

Mike being a dumbass troll on TWiT and calling Leo Laporte biased.

Pick one side of the fence Mike.

can someone send me an invite for google voice please?

[...] more from the original source: CrunchGear headline, iphone, zune hd Related [...]

Seeing as it’s been documented that AT&T has cooperated with the NSA by allowing them basically unfettered access to anything they want ( http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2006/06/21/att_nsa/ ), I think Google’s record is a little bit better at respecting customer privacy.

So whats the difference between porting your number to Google Voice and porting your number to a new carrier?

The carrier isn’t in control of my number– If I want to switch from AT&T to T-Mobile, I go to T-Moble and say I want to switch and they port my number.

If I want to quit Google Voice can I tell T-Mobile to switch it back for me? Or am I locked into Google Voice once I port my number to it?

What’s the difference between porting your number over to Google Voice and porting your number to another carrier?

The carrier doesn’t control my number. I do.

What I don’t really understand about Google Voice is the fact that all it does it connect the call. So therefore you would still have to pay for something to start the connection. Whether it be a cell phone contract, pre-pay/pay as you go, or the vonage system at your house that you mention.

So you have a mobile app on the android device, well don’t you pay for service on that device? How are you making emergency calls out on the road? You might be getting a freebie from tmobile, but won’t you have to pay for service from them whether it be contracted or not?

The only thing that wasn’t really mentioned was your total cost outcome for what the switchover would be from an iphone to a different mobile device.

[...] How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice Michael Arrington (tags: iphone googlevoice) [...]

Can’t you just use your Google Voice # and setup a new cell phone account with it? I currently have Verizon but I checked my GV# and T-mobile says it’s available for porting. Am I missing something???

I had been hoping to use Google Voice but the reported voice lag/delays has kind of turned me off to the idea for now.

Otherwise the feature list for G voice is awesome.

Can’t you just use your Google Voice # and setup a new cell phone account with it? I currently have Verizon but I checked my GV# and T-mobile says it’s available for porting. Am I missing something???

Mike must be scared that Apple will kill his CrunchPad so he’s making up crap against Apple now.

You aren’t the only one feeling this way Mike. You forgot how good it feels to discover something truly amazing, that also can make outgoing calls :)

T-Mobile sent me a myTouch review unit as well last week. After just a day, it became blatantly obvious that the myTouch is the ultimate communications device. Its seamless integration with Google voice and its other services is truly amazing.

The iPhone may be a great multimedia device, but (mostly) because of At&t, it is a terrible phone. I will happily do without iTunes to have a working phone again. HTC and T-Mobile have finally done it.

I dropped the iphone about 6 months ago. Went the android route. Been using google voice since grand central days back in 2007 and I cant function without it. It is engraved in my life.

I made teh right decision down with the iphone.
Love android but a few weeks ago switched to the palm pre and and loving it.

I have groups setup so for my family and friends i have it to connect directly. They dont have to give their name or anything just connect.

And with gizmo i get free calls at home both in and out.

I dont deal with vonage or skype everything free.

Long live google voice.

how is this different than having ATT or any other phone company controling your number? maybe they are archiving all your voicemails, SMS, call logs, etc. And as others have pointed out, ATT creates a copy of virtually everything on it’s communication network for the US intelligence community. Please give up any grand visions of “privacy” – it hasn’t existed for years (if ever).

Two points. First, do you really think any company *can* say ‘no’ to literal force imposed by a government that is now virtually unrestrained? You are dreaming if you think Google wouldn’t handle over any of your records to the first government agent that asks for them. This is the company that willingly accomodated the Chinese communists in censoring queries.

So, second, the real issue isn’t really whether the government can force AT&T, Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, etc., to hand over data. It can and will, as they laugh at the Constitution. The issue is how and when Google will use your data (which they certainly will claim is also *their* data) to commercially profit by selling it to advertisers and anybody else willing to pay.

>> is pinch a web page to zoom. (awww noooooooo!!!!!!!) lol

actually, that is kind of a big deal. touchscreens and gesture-based human/computer interaction are the future.

but anyway, the reason people love the iphone is the interface NOT the features. For some reason, many people don’t seem to understand this (mostly people who don’t have an iphone).

er, this really isn’t about number portability

It is too early to port a number to GVoice. Even if a porting is available there is no support for MMS yet. That would be great if Porting was offered at the same time when google starts supporting MMS.

google voice is great! I think the GV will be the future.

It’s posts like these that make me cry tears of joy.

lmfao.. AT&T 3g to tmobile 3g.. I feel sorry for you because you wasted your money on the AT&T cancellation fees and you will waste your money on tmobiles.. it’s a whole different frequency with NO WHERE NEAR as much bandwidth service coverage etc.. so you will wind up switching back to AT&T and paying $699 for another iPhone 3GS when google voice comes out to mobile browsers… sad day for you my friend.. throwing away nearly $1000 to go back to the same service.. it’s a shame.

hahaha arrington. free at last. man. it is the best not being beholden. once skype came out i know lots of people who used that, and even paid for some services, gasp, and just made skype their number one over the carriers we have here. because it’s more efficient and it’s easier. i haven’t made that switch yet but i should. some telcom companies are fail. so much freaking stress, and i’m paying them too.

keep us updated.

hahaha isn’t that funny when you get not one but more than two customer service people for at&fail to say they suck, and then you ask them why they’re working there and they say hey why are you calling me for again…cause hahah their supervisor or whoever manages the call center is there. at&t customer service is horrible, but NOTHING like sprint. sprint takes the entire cake. i dislike them sooooooooooooooo f**king much.

I know they aren’t stating porting is available, but why would T-mobile tell me through their tool that my GV# is able to be ported?

I have been using GoogleVoice for 3 months or so….and since It has totally changed the way I use phones. I divide my time between China (dev office), Japan (wife-kid), San Francisco (corp office) and everyone calls me on my Google-Voice 415#— In Japan I use Softbank and they give you an Iphone 3GS for $10 a month + the 2yr service plan fee which is $40. In USA I use Verizon and HTC Touch and tethering is 100% free with WinMobile 6.5.

Needless to say ATT does not fit anywhere into the picture and with Google Voice I feel truly free and am NOT dependent on any one Mobile Carrier!!

Welcome to the Android Google Voice experience. It’s been a life changer for me too. I didn’t experience any hiccups or delays and I can’t imagine looking back for a moment either.

I’d like to thank Apple and AT&T for their choices to tighten the noose on services and apps. They just keep coming up with better and better reasons for people to “think different” or just “think”.

Not a hater. Own a Mac laptop, but I’m not fond of koolaid. :-)

I wonder why Mike didn’t just unlock his iPhone (like I did).

I switched from tmobile to AT&T in October for the iPhone and was getting worse coverage (in NYC) and was paying about 60% more.

I recently switched back to tmobile and took the iPhone with me. With tmobile I just walked out with a SIM card and no contract. Pre-paid plans at tmobile cost the same as contracts.

I can’t wait to port my number to Google Voice. Mike can I have the number of the person you called to get your number ported?

there is always a way. i had a problem with another carrier, actually the one i’m using now, and after they sent me to china, india, and the phillipines i said screw the runaround and started hitting google and doing some research about the company and other carriers. i kept trying. i even lied and said i will get the media involved, and i got the numbers of the president and vp and call them and left messages. the vp called me back and told me they would make sure my concerns were dealt with and if not i can call him at his personal number and he’ll make sure something is done. i told him i don’t want to have to call his personal number or ever call their customer service again and that i will switch to the competition which i hated and had canceled earlier. he made sure everything was good. their customer service still sucks but they know to take me seriously if i call them. i may be younger but i am not that dumb.

we also had sprint and they f**cked us over really really really bad and for that i f**cked them right over. i’m just sad that i couldn’t help more people who were in our situation get out of that threat. i don’t know how a company can charge you thousands and thousands of dollars for something you never did, something they know you never did, but of course they don’t check their own records (fail), sued us, threatned us, and i kept fighting them, because unlike them i can read and i’m not that dumb. sprint is the worst. their customer service also sucks.

apparently from all the threads i’ve been to (you don’t have to answer my retype of copy+paste question) it looks like you actually retype all those characters. lol.

This made my day. Glad you’re loving Google Voice Mike… me too. You’ve done a great job of capturing what’s meaningful about Google Voice.

“the only thing that the iphone is dominant in IS THE APPS.”

The other significant component to the iPhone techies forget about is iTunes.

iTunes seamlessly manages an iPhone users movies, tv shows, podcasts, music, photos, apps, and contacts.

This is very important for the majority of iPhone users and impedes many from switching to any other phone.

After reading your article, I really can’t pin down the source of your frustration… is is the iPhone or AT&T?

Also, on what ground do you claim that myTouch phone is faster than the iPhone 3GS in some areas? is this based on your personal experience or a lab comparison test?

Thanks…

So I understand you can switch phones and not worry about porting ever again, but that doesn’t really make you totally carrier independent. You are either still signing a long-term contract, or if you are not, then you are over paying for the device/service. Can you pls explain this?

“finding a way to save money on mobile isn’t my thing”

but it is for most consumers

Only an Apple fan boy would call the myTouch 3G a second rate phone. I have an iPhone and a myTouch and, as a self professed Apple fan boy, the myTouch is hands down a much better phone than the iPhone. You want to know why? Try it out.

One feature that I love about the myTouch and hate about the iPhone is the inability to change the battery. The way I use my phone, an extra battery is always nice.

and that’s exactly how i got sprint to stop it’s fake case against me. got them and other people to check sprints records of our time with them an dthey had to back off because they were wrong. by the whole ordeal they had already made lots of money of some poor people who got hoodwinked. i love records. atleast it’s evidence you can use when a carrier is doing you dirty.

yeah it has.

well it looks like apple’s on some kind of path.

and so is google. we’ll see who goes the way of ms.

Oh please. Do you think anyone at Google wants to keep all your text messages that say LOL or LMAO? Jeez people, get a life. Your carrier gets more information about you than Google does, they even have your social security number. And your going to complain about Google getting your text messages? ROFL!

yupp and here you are. lol.

that sounds like a really good deal. would come in real handy for my family.

How does Google Voice and TMobile co-mingle. Is the phone number now “tied” to Tmobile…or strictly w/ Google Voice? You pay voice & data plan still w/ Tmobile?

But the UI (user interface) IS a feature. I do agree with you on that, but also that people like the iPhone for the many applications that one can use. Just like how the iPhone was advertised : “You want to do this.. we have an app for that”. however, the android google (and android sense) UI is much more than what iphone is offering as just standard. plus while the quantity of apps admittedly fails in comparison (apples 60,000 to androids 6,500), there’s more than enough to find what you need to suit one’s purpose. It’s not about the quantity, but the quality. and once the masses realize that… apple and att will be in trouble.

canada always gets shafted.

Mike,

Say that someday something comes along that’s better than Google Voice. Or you become dissatisfied with Google.

Will Google allow you to port your GV number to a different service? My understanding is that federal law requires carriers to let you port when you move away from them — would Google be required to do the same?

I noticed this in the TOS:

As between the parties, Google shall retain all right, title and interest to the telephone numbers used in connection with or provided as part of the Services.

no no people actually understand about the interface and the efficiency of the interface. eventually though apple and at&fail will win in the end because the user will always make the decison, not the company. it’s good mike went to something he ca nactually make calls with and recieve calls with. i mean like it was pointed out it’s not mostly an apple problem as much as it is an at&fail problem. apple has it’s own problems.

well, imagine the fit i would have in writing here on techcrunch if they did not. i believe my phone number is quite safe. :-) BUT, it is an excellent question that Google will have to deal with at some point soon.

also people understand apple ads and apple design. it’s all in their favour…even if i think people definately fell in the herd with the whole iphone ipod markets. they make good products though. good for apple.

Totally with you on this.

[...] find it pretty amusing that even some very reputable tech bloggers and entrepreneurs like Om Malik, Michael Arrington, and Jason Calacanis are lashing out at Apple and droping their beloved products.  It actually [...]

actually, I don’t know. I’ll test that tomorrow and let you know.

Thanks Bradley, you guys have created a great product.

it’s the entire ecosystem, but most of the problems are from AT&T.

Before the GV app fiasco I was planning on simply porting my number to GV and then upgrading to the iphone 3gs. So I’d still have Google Voice, and use the iPhone. But Apple killed the GV app, so it doesn’t work well with the iphone.

make sense? basically there are two decisions – the first is whether to port the number to google voice. the second is which device to use once you’ve done that.

fyi, i’ve sent google an email to ask them about this.

are you british?

british people are the best. they use words like “tosser” and then say “cheers”.

what do we have:

“f*ck off and thanks.”

thanks german (the language not the people)

you tell me…and tell me how i can get that with my carrier, cause we don’t have that here. at all. we always get shanked.

lol. good reply. i don’t own a business. i don’t know who arrington is (i didn’t really know anything about him and i am only little more knowledgable about who he is since coming to this website) and i care about this. i was finally going to get the new iphone…and i didn’t. maybe my money can go into getting something like this and not having to deal with f’n companies who like to stick it to you and you always have to take it. at&fail. don’t even know how they ever got to move to prrovide service here. f’n government. now we have the local telcoms f’n us over because they don’t want anyone moving in on their territory. and yet everyday someone complains. never was happier when government started ruling in our, the publics, favour. atleast we will have choice in the future. and some small startups are getting smart and actually giving us customers what we’ve been complaining about for years. about time. and we gladly pay those startups money. lol. it’ll be the best if people didn’t use the two nationwide telcoms.

It was my understanding that T-mobile’s 3g operates at non-standard frequencies so your N86 will never get 3g on t-mobile’s network. You have to have a t-mobile only 3g handset to make a fair comparison.

Did I miss the explanation where you detail how a Google Voice account holder initiates the procedure for porting an AT&T Mobility # to Google Voice? Because, I just looked at my GV account interface continues to state the the porting feature is not yet available.

So PLEASE, supply the details on how I go about ported my current mobile # to GV. I need this NOW!

Yowl is fine, but it’s a third-party app, not an “official” one.

if i don’t have to for something i think i’m paying a ridiculous price for, then i am there. the minute i could vonage or skype or google voice…i was using it. if i don’t have to pay $20 for sms i am there. sometimes people cannot deal with something anymore. they have to go with what they want.

*have to pay for something.

really. this is coming from someone posting under the name sarah palin. please excuse me if i pissed in my pants from laughing at the complete irony.

you guys should have a bet. yes it’s childish but you can make it fun.

lame. arrington is just mad that at $99 the iphone is not cool anymore.

a phone is a phone. wtf cares?

Didn’t read ALL the comments but I didn’t see anything about tethering. For Google Android, to borrow a term you may have heard, “there’s an app for that.” I used tetherbot in the past and a little googling will show you the steps to USB tether it to your comp or lappy.

it’s because you don’t need it.

people need something like google voice because it makes their life easier in some aspects. it’s not like staying with at&fail. i already see some really good benefits of getting something like this. i would be someone who would need gv, not for what or why arrington needed it, but for what i need it to do which is to give me choice and not gouge me.

why do people talk about teleporting your number like it’s available/possible everywhere in the world.

5 minutes to root your phone and you can have pinch zoom – I’ve got it, but don’t use it, the tap-to-zoom built into the browser it far more comfortable for single-handed usage.

i’m not using google and my carrier has all my information and they will keep it. yeah people are going to be scared of google monopoly especially if it gets better and is easier for people to use. it’s not like people act and don’t think about those kinds of questions. if you didn’t ask you probably wouldn’t be tied down to a contract and one company. not everyone wants to be tied down. some people like choices.

I don’t know about the other carriers, but T-Mobile has no contract plans if you pay full price for the device. So, you can cancel any time without having to pay a termination fee. However, I don’t believe any of the other carriers give customers this option.

oh oh oh so you’re one of those people apple fans were saying wouldn’t be dumb enough to switch. keep up with arrington’s updates so you can comment and keep us updated too.

has everyone decided that this sarah palin person is a troll? lol. entirely rhet question and there’s only one obvious answer. it’s not even about what he/she/it typed out just now. it’s been spreading it’s goodness in the comments section. check out some of the other stories.

you posted same in other thread.

yes it’s the obvious. lol.

not everyone knows about apple actually…especially not apple the 80% apple users number that was used in mcg’s apple write up.

some people know about apple. others are willfully blind to the reality. as long as apple gives them a good design, interface, product, they don’t care. but some people do. sometimes people cannot stay with apple because at&fail is too much, and sometimes it’s because of apple the company and not the product. apple the company will not be getting my money anytime soon and i doubt they care. my apple relationship is one sided. like mcg said apple is the way they are because it works for them and this control of the apple experience is what works for apple consumers. and like another commenter said in that thread, it’s nothing new. just because people are asleep doesn’t make something new just because they’ve woken up. new to them maybe…but not new in general.

this whole porting your number thing…it’s not new, but i want to know how i can do that…cause we don’t do that. have never done it or know anyone who has. we’re not all like the u.s. or the u.k. or europe for that matter…or even china.

Ahah amazing that you totally got converted.. From iPhone cultism to Google Voice? I didn’t know that people could step over their salivating worship of iPhone (my vicinity is surrounded by iPhonies [pun intended] that are like “o my gaaawd” and then I flash my Google phone and they go “wuz dat? that’s thick / ugly / bla bla..” dude, it beats your thing that requires the stupid iTunes access and the necessity to place your credit card at their hands!)

Good job with the realization to.. or rather enlightenment..

Oh and, dunno if you know, the article is featured on Wesley Chan’s twitter.. Kudos =)

lol. you really think so…i think they don’t care. i don’t think most of them care, but they should. once i can get around all these telcoms that just want to screw me, i will do it. as it is i have a nokia and i don’t pay for it, so i’m good. would be nice if i could get an iphone and not be limited to one carrier…and then in the future maybe only 2 choices. it’s f’n brutal all these monopolies. they suck larger than a cow’s butt. seriously hate them. and then whenever we get the attention of the government to do something they say they’re being fair. i’m glad that most countries have made it known they won’t tolerate bs, and therefore soon my country will follow suit. we only have one carrier option here. they are not at&fail, although they fail in their own way. it just pisses me off because i have bad experience with the only carrier that has the iphone right now, and and and i don’t ever want to be putting money into their pockets again. it’s not even an apple issue. i mean america thinks it has it bad. lol. you don’t even know.

but now people have stopped complaining because we finally got t he iphone here…and just having the iphone will make people forget they are getting shanked. it’s an interesting thing to observe. it’s like total mind wipe.

[...] by Michael Arrington News, iPhone Bashing [...]

if they make it better i would even pay to use it. unlike arrington not worrying about costs, some of us have to, but i would be willing to pay if i didn’t have to be tied down and the service in most was better than all the carriers. i’m going to do my own research on palm, and andorid and see what i can spend my saved iphone 3g money on.

lol. completley true. thanks for the advice. you don’t belong to a tech religion? you don’t have loyalty to one tech gadget?

yeah. someone get the answer. canada always gets shanked. for the meantime people can try gv with their gmail.

uh yeah but apple still recieves love from tc also…so what about that…and at&fail isn’t like apple and verizon. apple and at&fail though is not a good look on either company. there’s a lot of people tweeting about this relationship problem. ever since at&t got the apple contract, i have heard some good comments about being better than horizon, especially depending on where you are, but mostly complaints. i’m sure at&t gets a lot of complaints. apple has to do something, or at&t could improve. it doesn’t matter. something needs to happen/someone needs to do something.

horizon=verizon

[...] מגלים שיש בעיתיות במבנה של האפ-סטור! כן כן, גדולים וטובים פתאום מודיעים שנמאס להם מאיך שאפל מנהלים את [...]

how much is it to call france?

Mike,

How’s the accurary of the voicemail transcription in your experience? Conversion of voice to text is certainly a killer feature if it’s reliable enough.

Nick

wow. i am so jealous. you are really lucky. what is better android or pre?

am i the only one who doesn’t want to have to get any kind of iphone and then have to jailbreak it. it’s not even about how little time it takes to jailbreak it. it’ll be all about why i would need to in the first place.

oh and sucks about your apple at&fail experience. my ny cousin doesn’t use at&t. he just uses tmobile and he’s very happy. the lucky guy. we don’t get any of that here. only iphone and one carrier and only one carrier as a choice because the telcom sucks. f’n monopoly.

7 Stages of Grief:

1) Denial
…

Let’s see how you feel 6 months from now. That will be a true testament to switching over.

i dunno about you but i havent been following what apple says i invest into new ideas when it comes to the iphone its a computer in your hands what do you expect

Michael..You’re back! And again blogging useless stuff. I don’t give a f**k what phone you use or what you do in your personal life! So, please buzz off!

By the way, I think you are a PR-whore.

What do you mean “…I just dial a 406 number…”?

ok, heard back. I don’t know about GV issued phone numbers, but it sounds like they’ll support porting out of numbers that people port in once the product actually launches.

realy T mobile is in trouble in the Uk supposedly its up for sale by DBP

I Love Google voice and google wave! It’s nice to have other great choices out there!

LOL @ Michael Arrington,

You are in America, that is why you have to to be “slave” of mobile phone /Google like companies.

here in India, we can choose WHICHEVER carrier we want… NO CONTRACTS… and YOU CAN KEEP YOUR OLD NUMBER, no Google Voice slavery either.

Just prepay ($5) for A WHOLE YEAR! + $.01 per call per minute.

Oh yes, you need not BEG the telephone operators to provide ‘low’ cost mobiles. WE CAN CHOOSE WHATEVER mobile handset WE WANT to USE!!!….

That’s what I call FREEDOM of Choice

lol at you LES

because you dont understand that behind that $99, over a period of 2 years, you have to pay roughly $3000… I presume you are weak at maths or logic in selecting iPhone and considering it as a $99 phone…lol.

make up your mind Michael,

Some times you say, you already dumped iPhone.. the very next moment, you say you CAN go back to iPhone…. or a Pre, or Google… lol… are you DRUNK?

Michael Arrington (@arrington) “I have mobile phone freedom and choice now. totally coolness.”

Do you …. really? think again. lol…hahahaha…

Soon, Google is gonna take over your life.

Have you ever thought about Google synthesizing and analyzing your voice voice and then feeding relevant ads for which you are interested in?

It was first peak of Hyppo for Microsoft….
Current Hippo is at this moment Apple….
Next will be Google….

Learn to live life Michael….. there will ALWAYS be some one who WILL rule YOUR LIFE. no it wont be god.. but corporate Evils

Michael,

Entire US Mobile / Telephone Ecosystem should be the culprit, not just iPhone / AT & T

Ask yourself the question; why cannot you simply choose telephony service provider of YOUR choice and mobile handset of YOUR choice without ANY strings attached? CAN YOU?///

You simply cant!

I bought my iPhone from Airtel in India for 650$ and I have a postpaid connection worth 10$ that gives me gives me 500 mb free download and 444 free sms and 444 minutes of free talktime each month.

Each local call is worth 1 cent and std calls cost 2 cents. Now that’s cheap…. but then we still don’t have 3g…. iphone 3gs is yet to be launched in India. We have to wait for newer technologies and it sucks. Also, India is a poor and developing country so I guess things should be cheap!!

This whole post, and the “quitting iPhone” rant is such BS it’s a joke. Mike sees Apple as a competitor with the CrunchPad releasing soon.

tomorrow you’ll be telling us you’re having a nose removal job just to get one up on your face. good luck!

#1, Don’t consider India as “poor” Why? because we have 500m+ population that can afford BMW’s and Merc’s, also we have more billionaires than US!.. not sure where you see India as Poor. Even our economy did not slow down, we are immune to recession!

that 500m is more than US population and not everyone in US could afford BMW’s or Merc’s (even with credit cards)

India has 3G, BSNL has launched it country wide. the speeds are 3.6 MBps and Much Cheaper than Airtel. It’s faster than typical US 1Mbps ADSL.

My 3G experience in US this year showed iPhone 3GS to be slower in 512Kbps, even if i am standing next to AT & T tower.

I am happy to be a Indian and living in India :)

Get over yourself and your country.

The iPhone has loads of negative sides to it, ifag.

The essayist – go offload your crap elsewhere

ugh my 3gs stopped working again.. another dreadful day standing in the shi tty apple store..

I WISH T MOBILE WORKED HERE!

When is TechCrunch going to ban messages containing this url? It’s obviously spam. They hardly even contribute anything.

[...] now, as a direct result of the Google Voice debacle, a vocal Apple  supporter has tossed his iPhone in the trash can in favor of an Android-powered phone capable of running [...]

In America these days , you have to beg. Was in SF last week and could not believe that a supposed first world country had so many homeless people.

Apple is not doing anything different. So why be angry with them you knew this was the game they played when you bought the iPhone. I can never support closed eco systems as I truley believe its against the nature of the web. And the web as cultural factor is growing up. People download music not because they are ciminals or thieves but because society is changing, because society is embracing openess and sharing. The world is a better place because of this. The Pax Americana where big corporations drive the world with their brand sparkle is coming to an end… People want what they want… In the parlance of our times… CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT FEAR BIG CORPORATIONS, BIG CORPORATIONS SHOULD FEAR CONSUMERS. Companies like Apple , Microsoft, Google are the dinosaurs that think they have their sh*t sorted… look what happend to the Dinos, comet strike WIN. In 10 years the Ubuntus, Maemos, the Chinavision Mobiles the Barthis, the MTNs and the like will be going to into system overdrive and gobble up competition based on openness.

[...] Techniques For WordPress Theme Developers 3 Sites To Find Free Unlocking Codes For Mobile Phones How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice 6zjNO.jpg (JPEG Image, 463×293 pixels) SEOmoz 4 Essential SEO Infographics Great Twitter [...]

Tethering on Android is fairly straightforward to set up and free:
http://graha.ms/androidproxy/
I use it often on Windows and OS X.

Interestingly enough, within the past year or so, I have found that AT&Ts customer service has actually been pretty good. Granted, I haven’t always felt this in the past, and I’m sure they’ll do something to piss me off in the future, but recently it’s been better than I ever expected from them. Let’s hope they keep it that way. It really wouldn’t take much for me to drop them fast and do something along the lines of what Michael has done.

“Just reading such filth makes my stomach get all sour”

I understand how you feel. Try not to let it bother you too much. In the past I used to get quite irritated when I saw the type of post that ‘Sarah Palin’ spews like explosive diarrhea. Anymore, I understand that they are nothing more than Web trash that is either to be ignored or occasionally pitied. I find that ignoring them works much better since pitying take too much effort.

:)

Sites like consumerist and other similar ones are one of the best advocates people have in dealing with monolithic corporations that makes tough policies and expect front line customer support to enforce (and take the heat for). It seems Google is helping to add the “customer” part back into customer service.

Despite India’s impressive economic growth over recent decades, it still contains the largest concentration of poor people in the world, and has a higher rate of malnutrition among children under the age of three (46% in year 2007) than any other country in the world….Even though India has avoided famines in recent decades, half of children are underweight, one of the highest rates in the world and nearly double the rate of Sub-Saharan Africa.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India

India is improving but has a long way to go. However, your cell phone situation is enviable.

[...] reading Michael Arrington’s post on TechCrunch about porting his number to Google Voice and how much happier he is after abandoning [...]

“no carrier will ever have a stranglehold on me again”

But Google does…

Personally, I’m waiting for the HTC Hero. It’s so much sexier hardware. Both AT&T and Sprint have better 3G coverage than T-Mobile.

Being a troll, doesn’t make them wrong…

[...] how some points against apple are the same arguments you can make for it. posts here and here. whodathunk youd live to see the day people thought the borg wasnt so [...]

You went from drinking Apple’s Kool-Aid to drinking Googl’es. Good Job.

Once you’ve done an Android, there’s no going back! ;-)

Yeah, but try buying real estate in India and then we’ll talk about hassles. Exactly how many gangsters do you have to bribe to grab a piece of real estate in Mumbai?
Another added benefit of living in America? I don’t have to worry about stepping in human feces on the street. India? well put on your boots buddy.

your new phone sux big time.. why not BB dude?

“And I plan to never do business directly with a carrier again.” How is this true Micheal? you still have to pay someone for the pipe…

Welcome to Android.

I never buy apple products exactly for this reason. Eventually software will come out that i care about more than the apple ui and then i’m SOL. I just can’t make that deal as it’s too frustrating for me.

I do appreciate Apple’s innovation though and I genuinely hope their company continues to do well.

[...] yesterday I read that Michael Arrington (a new adopter to Google Voice) of Techcrunch was able to port his number into Google Voice and away from AT&T.  My question to the Google Voice team: When are the rest [...]

What (or ‘Who’ – spinvox) does the voicemail transcriptions? Are there any privacy issues there?

[...] und darf Google Voice – das sich noch in geschlossener Beta-Phase befindet – für Google ausgiebig testen. Viele Experten sehen in Googles quelloffenem mobilen Betriebssystem Android die Zukunft des Mobile [...]

Isn’t GVoice just working as a sort of forwarding service. Don’t you still have to use your Carrier minutes and SMS text allowance?? Yeah, they capture all the data so you can manage it via gVoice, but other than that…..there’s no VoIP or anything of the sort. The only deal you get I think is with international calls (which I’m assuming they are using some 3rd party long distance carrier to hand off the calls to). Don’t get me wrong, Its a neat service, but it doesn’t get rid of or replace existing carrier services/charges.

[...] AT&T, enough said. [...]

Don’t know if it’s known in the US but T-Mobile Germany (the home base of the T-stuff) is the exclusive Apple iPhone partner over here in Germany.
They are as good or bad as everyone else, limited only by their partners in the territory they reach. And Google Voice isn’t yet available over here so my choice is somewhat more limited.

Sounds like you need a refresher on Google Books. They certainly ARE paying attention to copyrights. They aren’t stupid.

What does everyone think is the downside to using an iPhone and accessing Google Voice via Safari?

JI just want to say congrats on making a worthy switch. The iphone is a nice phone and has some awsome GAMES but that’s not what a phone is for. Useablity and background running of apps is the future and iphone just does not offer that, hell the G1 is just a better phone. Its great to read all the apple fan boys comments, they get so angry. Why don’t they all relax, save some money and pay the 175 for an early tem fee and by a real phone…they will always have the memorys of being raped on the at@t plans

Do you still need to have a cell phone carrier to make and receive calls?

[...] Arrington’s latest love letter to Google Voice was published yesterday: “How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice.” [...]

This all sounds well and good, but for those of us who don’t have $400-$500 to shell out on a new phone, or have one provided to us for testing, the $200 subsidy for signing a 2 year agreement is pretty tempting.

My $99 iPhone is the best purchase I have ever made. I got the GV mobile app before it was blocked, and it still works fine. So I’m free to use Google Voice on my iPhone. Yay! Does it have full functionality of an app released by Google? Probably not. Can it be easily phased out if Google wants to? Yeah.

But honestly, I’m going to be paying a carrier $100 a month anyways. Whether it’s TMobile or AT&T or Verizon. I don’t really feel like switching really expensive smartphones like underwear because that gets expensive (again, unless I’m a super awesome tech blogger who gets free stuff / it’s my job so it’s okay to spend money on a new smartphone every 3-6 months).

I’m glad this is working out for you Michael, but for most people, it’s just not sensible. And as MG’s post* right after yours points out, Apple cares about keeping *most people* happy. And iPhone in hand, and my first MacBook on the way, I’m grinning like a Cheshire cat.

*(http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/09/the-case-against-apple-is-just-as-much-a-case-for-apple/)

cant wait for the bing_phone

get over your all caps.

How did you port your number to Google Voice? How can I do the same thing?

Nevermind…just read the bottom of the article too.

Google Voice is not the only option. The app store has something called “AT&T Virtual Receptionist” which is FREE. What do you get for free? You get 60 minutes to use each month. You get a TOLL-FREE number. All calls are routed to any phone you want. If you need more time on it, you can sign up for a monthly plan. If you want PBX services, then get the RingCentral version (RingCentral makes the ATT app). Google Voice does not do PBX, it is good for personal use, not business.

[...] Arrington’s latest love letter to Google Voice was published yesterday: “How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice.” [...]

Yippee! Good for you. You stood up for your rights. You dumped the iPhone and told Apple where to go. Apple didn’t allow the Google Voice App when you wanted it (no doubt it will be back in time, though) and you gave Steve Jobs and Apple the finger. You hate authority and being told what you can have on your own device that you paid for with the blood and sweat of your labor. After all, in this world, you always know what’s best for you, right.

When Steve heard that you were giving up the iPhone and becoming an Android sycophant, it nearly gave Steve a heart attack and basically shook Apple to its very foundation. There was an actual ripple in the stock price that you probably didn’t detect since you were so busily using Google Voice to change your lifestyle. Where would you have been without the the hottest app of the week running on your smartphone? How did you do without it all your life?

I’m so glad that Apple runs the App Store with an iron fist and I hope it sends all the ungrateful iPhone users who are unable to run ONE app running to Android, WinMo and Symbian where they do whatever the hell they please with their magnificent platforms, like anyone gives a damn. If you think those platforms are so darn perfect, then more power to you.

I hope you stay away from Apple for the rest of your life to prove your point that nobody messes with you. Right now you are THE MAN and are fully in control of your life. YOU ROCK! You singlehandedly turned the tide against Apple. You are the LOOSE CANNON! You have now become Google’s main sycophant. And lord help Google and Android if they displease you in any way.

I’ve already pledged my blind allegience to Steve Jobs and Apple, so my soul is owned lock, stock and barrel. As a long-term Apple stock investor and Mac user, I can live with that.

Michael, I will request again, please may I have your iphone. I’ve been wanting one of these for a while but dont want to get into a contract with AT&T. Pretty Please :)

Maybe it has to do with them not wanting to employ censorship perhaps? Ever think of that?

I find it a bold and strong choice on their part. Why spend the money on hiring someone to remove them when it clearly doesn’t hurt their brand in any way. People ignore and move on from posts like that.

If they actively pursued removing such worthlessness they would be just as bad as the app store and would have no grounds on speaking/writing actively about censorship out there..

Sorry lol, I’ve already seen Slumdog Millionaire and Salaam! Bombay and they’ve shown that most of those people are poor.

It’s been said that iPhones weren’t selling in India because the people couldn’t afford them. I think that indicates they are poor. I know poor is a relative term but for every billionaire in India, there must be a million poor people looking for a place to piss on the streets.

I have never heard that India was considered a rich country although I’m sure there are the ultra-rich that steal everything from the common man in India even more so than in the U.S.

and you can do that now anyhow… every carrier allows you to port your number over.. so i really don’t see the advantage here except the extra features of voice. you’re still tied down to the contract just as before and you can leave whenever you want, pending a possible fee, and port the number over to a new phone and carrier whenever. i really feel like i’m missing something here with all this hubbub around gvoice.

You’re right, and my old 90s Nokia is just as useful as the iPhone.

Oh, wait, now you’re realizing how what you said was stupid.

Literally, every sentence you typed /besides/ that first one was just fine grammar wise, so your point is null.

You’re just a shitty typist when you choose to be.

Unless you’re buying out of contract, you have no more mobile freedom than you did before. Because you can always switch to a new service and port your existing number.

Would love to hear how you have more freedom and choice now.

You have to do the same thing with the GV app. It doesn’t notify you of incoming SMS messages.

I use Skype for calling home when I’m abroad because the gateways in North America are pretty good and it’s free. For local calls in most other countries, I buy a prepaid SIM and leave it in my unlocked iPhone. at&t’s international roaming charges are obscene.

Love this article because it’s exactly what I did this weekend. I just bought a MyTouch 3G on Saturday and LOVE it. If you use everything Google, it’s the phone to have for sure. Gmail, GCalendar, Picasa, Google Talk, Google Voice are all integrated.

And Google Voice is awesome! I didn’t even buy an SMS plan because I do everything through Google Voice. Now I have a phone plan with unlimited data, way more minutes than I had with AT&T and unlimited SMS for about 1/3 cheaper. Plus since I’m using Google Voice, I call long distance for next to nothing.

“And I plan to never do business directly with a carrier again. ”

… but aren’t you doing business with T-mobile? Granted, you’re Michael Arrington and you don’t have to pay for anything, because people give you free stuff to write about them. But, a customer in your scenario would be paying for Vonage and paying for T-Mobile service. Why not drop Vonage and Google Voice and go with a virtual pbx provider like Onebox® where you can get online faxing, a local & toll free number, and multiple extensions, and a whole lot more – that’s way more than Google Voice provides for the same price as Vonage? … oh, and you can port you’re number in without problem… of course this is also available from many other online companies as well.

People wonder why the economy is struggling, because everyone wants it for free.

Mr. Arrington, a very symbolic gesture due to Apple’s snubbing GV. Instead of getting rid of my iPhone, I jailbroke it (broke their TOS) and installed Siphone to use GV Mobile and VoiceCentral which I bought from iTunes previously.

Jailbreaking the iPhone has also allowed me to use the free app Siphon that allows incoming and outgoing calls using Google Voice. Instructions here:

http://www.voicetalk.org/2009/08/08/google-voice-gizmo5-siphon-iphone-app-calls/

But if you are paying the whole price, that defeats the purpose. I find Michael’s statement “I am now carrier independent” totally misleading.

You want to really screw them over, setup a scriptable terminal program like zoc terminal and have it dial their 800 numbers all day and night. Set the script to dial it, wait the length of time for the call to complete, then disconnect, and dial again. They’ll get charged 3 cents per minute (as that’s the cheapest you’ll find for toll-free number service). Just be sure you’re on an unlimited voip line or a land line. Or use one of the free toll-free voip sip providers,

http://www.voip-info.org/wiki/view/Toll+Free+Termination+Providers

“It’s been said that iPhones weren’t selling in India because the people couldn’t afford them.”

No one here likes contract and to pay $650 for hardware alone. Basically contract is some thing that most Indians hate (one of the reason iPhone failed). Since independence, no one wants to be “slave” of ANY ONE. 99% here pay bills by Hard Cash (not by slavery induced credit card). Here, owning a house means a person actually have saved enough money (not like USA, where they ‘own’ house on life long ‘contract’… or shall i say Mortgage)

We have phones phones that are higher in price and yet they sell fairly well. 5 to 6 times iPhone.

If they charged $99 for iPhone (same as in USA) then iPhone might have a chance. People here don’t usually go for ‘style’ or ‘cult’, they no longer blindly follow (they have learned this from the past British invasion), they first think what is being offered by the device. If the device is more functional, they buy it, if it is just a bling, only those who have ‘excess’ money buy it.

Slumdog is a very true representation of India, when you visit here, you will find a lot of people walking through ‘shyt’ and becoming billionares (Mittal steel comes to my mind) but at the same time not everyone is slum dog.

Michael Arrington FTW

“The Android apps are far more interesting because they have the ability to integrate with any native function (so, for example, Google Voice, banned on the iPhone, has taken over the myTouch native dialer). And I can run persistent apps in the background like Google Talk, which lets me keep a chat window open to contacts all the time.”

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All very nice.

But can you make fart noises? That, after all, is what’s really important.

Maemo 5 with Ubuntu and QT will

Staying in a location is choice of individual. It depends, how you want to weigh in yourself when you reason out things. Like, weather you want to a$$lick US or want to do something that will make difference in being some one. Weather you care enough for your own self or your own pockets. Weather country comes first or US slavery comes first. (don’t really wanna start a ‘war’ here). All have equal right to be where they want. It’s their own decision. As long as they are happy a$slicking, it’s their choice.

Living in India made me learn ‘not to step on’ others shyt, and walk carefully, without blindly following people / company like Apple :)

I would love to Visit US on short trips, to enjoy the ‘clean’ environment and beauty but that’s about it for me :) I personally enjoy both “worlds”

quitting iPhone is realization of rationale. not a BS joke.

CrunchPad is a great device. Apple has not only copied the concept from Michael but also patented it!

Even Google took the idea “Machine booting to a browser” from Michael.

I would not be surprised if there was any ‘back door’ deal between Michael and Google, perhaps we even will have Google OS’s first implemented on CrunchPad

Ethan, not too long ago, I have seen that in NY too.

James, I can understand, you do envy us and our freedom. Tell me one thing that ‘you’ can get without a contract or minimum balance payment or mortgage attached to it. (‘you’ is not specifically directed towards you, i mean ‘you’ in general)

Jehosephat, just did that. I was trying to stress some of the words for ‘easy readability’

That iApproval process of iAppStore itself is such a mess. Again, all users who do not jailbreak ‘iPhone’ are ‘slaves’ because developers have to BEG to get it approved, common users can use ONLY those apps that are ‘Approved’ by Apple iGods!
This is the only negative aspect that i can see, of course apart from being pegged to AT & T.

Let Apple free the iAppStore’s iApproval process and AT & T carrier restrictions, I bet people like Nokia will have a little chance of survival. Apple could make more money this way.

Not on Sprint you can’t. Well, maybe. I got conflicting answers. But if I bought one from someone on ebay, bypassing Sprint getting their ‘full price’, I would have no way to get *new* service on Sprint without entering in to a 2 year service agreement. I had 4 different reps confirm this for me. If I bought for full price *from them* then I have the ‘privilege’ of only paying them $70/month on a month to month basis, not necessarily over a 2 year period.

I think its superbly immature of someone to come here and brag about India and Indianess!

I am an Indian myself and proud ! but its not about the country or the carrier or the contracts. The silicon valley differentiates itself easily.

There is no denying the progress of India, but try using google maps to figure out the public transport and compare the price of the iPhone to the average salary of the middleclass man. India is not called ‘developing’ for no reason!

I have been in India for 22 years but this kinda bullshit by LOL is just embarrassing.

The CrunchPad looks awesome. I’m just waiting for availability. I will buy two as soon as they are. Much better than any lame duck imitation that Apple may or may not release. More importantly, I doubt it’ll be locked down as hard as any Apple tablet device would be.

Way to go Mike! When GV is more available, I’m going to have give this a shot.

PS. When is the July press event about the CrunchPad going to take place? 2010?

GV is one of the few products I’m not as cynical about.

It would be cool if the calls went directly to google through the data plan.

Since Flash has microphone support, it would be possible to call directly from the Google Voice website.

Imagine, a chrome netbook that is a phone too! Instead of using the sound input jack, just have an extra built-in mic that with a cord that rolls out of the computer. If you need to switch to a mobile, just press *.

Maybe I’m a little paranoid but I must admit I don’t the fact that Google transcribes all my voicemails and probably stores them somewhere. Can they also transcribe all my conversations as well? I mean they already know all my friends (from gmail) where I spend my vacations (from picasaweb) and my internet habits (since I usualy start browsing from my google homepage). I dont see how they can use this information to harm me know but the thought of so much of my personal information in the hands of one corporation gives me the shivers…

yes you can. If you are willing to cough out the bucks for the full price of a phone you do not have to take their contract. I have three lines with sprint…Blackberry Tour, Pre and a data card with no contracts.

Thanks for following up. I hope they clarify the policy to allow consumers to receive rights to numbers issued by GV, too.

you can’t beat the
iphone. Iphone is king and all the apps that go with it.

Been downloading a few today. Love the Barclaycard app and Problem Halved

I’ve been unable to receive or send MMS (multimedia txt messages) to my google voice #. I can’t switch over to Google Voice if people are going to get error messages when sending my pix msgs. seems like an unusual oversight on Google’s part. Do you have this issue (have you tried?)

Google knows your online search habbits, Google knows your mail account, it knows your documents, it knows where you are (locations), what you buy (and how much money you might have), it knows your friends and now it can even listens to all your calls and voicemail. They can call you (because you told them all your numbers) for the rest of your life (because you never have to switch phone providers) to provide you the newest Google Phones. Oh well, thats ok – because you can block them.
It “is nearly perfect” – I have talked to some people that do actually not mind that Google has almost every information about themselves. This is the step that actually makes Google really perfect -> People that don’t mind that this company probably knows them better than their partner.

One day, you will wish you would have put some more effort in keeping all you communication separte.

Michaeal, although you were a guinea pig, where you charged (by GV) to port you number to GV?

Do you have an idea how much, if any, GV will charge to port a phone number?

yeah after we had the whole sprint fail debacle, found out their customer service was improving steadily cause we actually considered going back to them after dealing with at&fail. but i will never go back to sprint. hahaha never is a long time but i know when people try to screw me over, especially when i am paying them money. if we hadn’t taken a look at our bills and were automatically paying sprint all the time we would have gotten r*ped and never would have been the wiser. atleast at&fail when they mess up they know they mess up, even if they don’t do anything about it. sprint people have some sort of amnesia memory. verizon is not so bad but supposedly it can’t handle apple. oh well. apple needs to find an alternative to at&t, because if they did maybe people wouldn’t be so mad. i can’t believed it’s been 10 years and the same problem i had them is what iphone users are talking about now. oh well. be better consumers is all i can say. if you’re paying for something and you always get consistently dropped calls…then there’s no point in you paying some company for their service because that service is bad. and that’s the bottom line. people have been at at&t for years. i don’t think they listen. i thought sprint was bad, but sprints been getting better. now if only we can get apple to get away with the only carrier they deal with here so maybe we can have 2 carriers i would be fine. i’m not asking for much. it would be better if they were open and i could go with whatever carrier i thought was best for me. kind of like how we can do that now with all of our other mobiles.

I find the voice quality is diminished when calls come through Google Voice, regardless of which phone it goes through: (landline + cell on Verizon + iphone on AT&T).

Google Voice’s quality makes it almost unusable when routed through the iphone.

But then again, that’s the reason I have the VZ phone in the first place, because–as Mr. Arrington has discovered–the iPhone is virtually unusable as a professional telephone.

Please write about your experience with the voice quality itself, as this is the most important thing with a phone service.

It seems there will be some inevitable sacrifice in voice quality when you pass the conversation through an extra VOIP layer…

Discuss.

it doesn’t have to be wrong. you probably haven’t seem some of the comments “sarah palin” has been leaving in the comments section. it’s really redundant. but this was one of the only times he/she actually wrote something instead of F@*K THIS. i just wanted to know in another thread if he/she was actually typing any of this stuff or using ctrl v and then i saw the comment above and atleast he/she showed capability. whether i agree or disagree. i have to say it’s a level above some of sarah palin’s previous comments.

[...] | 0 comments When it comes to Apple and the iPhone, it was a weekend of fear and loathing. From loving Google Voice to Apple’s pending doom, we read it all. While I agree with some of the points that were raised, [...]

[...] it comes to Apple and the iPhone, it was a weekend of fear and loathing. From loving Google Voice to Apple’s pending doom, we read it all. While I agree with some of the points that were raised, [...]

Suddenly there is a lot of anti-Apple, and pro-Google/Android articles appearing on TechCrunch.

…can Arrington be any more transparent? I’m betting that Google funded CrunchPad.

[...] it comes to Apple and the iPhone, it was a weekend of fear and loathing. From loving Google Voice to Apple’s pending doom, we read it all. While I agree with some of the points that were raised, [...]

but wait, you’re still going to need a license for the band you’re using on your home made setup.

that makes the fcc and the govt your master.

it all just makes me sad.

i LOVE GV btw, I use it on my g1.

Grossly misleading post.. you are still very much dependent on the carrier. Even without GV I can “switch whenever I want” if I don’t sign up the long term contract..

Suppose I want to stay with my current provider, will they let me move my number to GV and reissue a new one to attach to my plan? I’m currently with AT&T (Blackberry, not iPhone).

Mike Arrington (or anyone who knows) …

Since Google Voice is VoIP you at least need a data package on your mobile to run it, right?

Unfortunately that will make it difficult to completely sever ties with the big US carriers, I think.

Are there month to month data only plans out there somewhere?

[...] How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice [...]

Michael, enjoyed your article about Google Voice.

My biggest concern with it is the security. As you said, your voice messages get sent to you via email or SMS, this implies that they are being stored or cached somewhere in the Google cloud, unknown whether or not they are encrypted, archived on some kind of schedule or especially if the content of the messages is scanned for statistics or ad placement.

Does the app on the myPhone offer security for calls and messages?

Does Google Apps have geoDefence?

congrats michael and welcome to the cool kids table.

i dont get it. dont you still need to be with a carrier and have monthly min. to recieve calls from the google phone #? isnt google voice just a sophisticated forwarding service?

From what I understand, it’s a very sophisticated forwarding service, automatically-transcribed voice mail, very cheap long distance and international calls. I probably missed some features, too.

I hope the next time Leo Laporte interviews Arrington about Google Voice, Laporte makes a long and protracted point about conflicts, insisting that Arrington disclose his conflict before proceeding Tee hee! After Laporte asks, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ I can just imagine Arrington’s response – SCREW YOU LAPORTE! YOU’RE A TROLL! :)

Now you’re just acting arrogant. We don’t envy you and your so called “freedom” is just as real as America’s “freedom.” Otherwise non-existent.

“I just want a perfect user experience no matter what it costs.”

This is just about the most ridiculous thing I have ever read. I hope you and your gobs of money are very happy together.

Most of us want an honest opinion of the value of the tech reviewed here on this site. I don’t expect TC to give us every detail of the T-Mobile billing system, but it would be nice to know that the reviews here are written by people who live somewhere on the same planet as the rest of us.

damn, you could have saved $175. oh well.

http://www.mobilecrunch.com/2009/08/10/get-angry-att-changes-contract-to-prevent-class-action-lawsuits/

And yet the gOS already came up with that idea before Michael did. You can’t simply say that companies got idea from Michael without any proof

[...] How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice (tags: google business technology article mobile tech iphone techcrunch Opinion Android googlevoice phones) [...]

[...] http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/09/how-i-learned-to-quit-the-iphone-and-love-google-voice/ [...]

How to? If you port your current mobile phone number to GV, what happens to that mobile handset, phone number-wise? Does it become a brick and you must obtain another telephone number or ???

[...] anticipate however is the strong reaction against it. I was happy yesterday to read about TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington’s bold move to drop the iPhone, pay the AT&T $175 termination fees, move to Android, and get his [...]

I got for my iphone before they removed it from the app store, and it works great.

No one cares

michael,
one thing i don’t quite get is your comment “no carrier will ever have a stranglehold on me again.”

I would like to be released from the carrier stranglehold, but any cell phone requires cell phone service and all carriers require a contract. How is switching from att to t-mobile contract not a stranglehold?

please clarify for my edification.

If it helps, CDMA carriers offer several hybrid phones with SIM card capabilities.

Hey. Good choice. Welcome to the Open World. And for the Android Phone … buy a HTC Hero. You’ll love it. I suppose :-)

Iphone is easy to use.

Long live iphone!

I don’t agree with you

[...] mail selected by name. Google Voice kicks that up a notch, so much so that some in the trade press (Mike Arrington for one) have sworn off Apple which doesn’t allow Google Voice, so if your organization is  IPhone [...]

[...] Arrington (Techcrunch) explique pourquoi et comment il a délaissé son iPhone et AT&T au profit du dernier HTC Touch sous Android et démontre à quel point il aime Google Voice. Il [...]

[...] How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice (TechCrunch) [...]

I don’t think that this will change that easy.We must take note that people cannot switch easily to another thing if they love to do the other thing,right?
Let’s just see if what really happens.

[...] iPHONE: How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice A pretty compelling article from someone who gave up the iPhone. Sounds like Google Voice is a better solution: You can have all your phones ring simultaneously. Does that work with landlines too? Screw having multiple numbers! (tags: hardware phones cellPhones iPhone Apple Google voice TechCrunch testimonies AT&T)   [...]

Exactly what I was wondering. I am assuming that at a minimum, he’s getting his data thru Tmobile. Perhaps even a voice and data plan.

Maybe he’s on a monthly plan so the stranglehold isn’t quite what it used to be?

Would sure love to know some of the plan details that are making this work for him…

ChapMaster, do you get that name because you wear ass-less chaps?

“In mother Russia…”

[...] As you are probably well aware – unless you’ve been vacationing on a remote island without mobile or WiFi access for the past 2 weeks – Apple rejected the iPhone’s Google Voice app on July 27th. Cue angry mobs of blogging iPhone users. [...]

yeah, that’s great and all but you ARE LIVING IN INDIA! who the fvck wants to live there?

Politely suggest to her to shop at sams for bread flour and get a bread machine.

[...] Der Wechsel vom iPhone zu Google Voice [...]

[...] 12 August 2009 · Leave a Comment http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/08/09/how-i-learned-to-quit-the-iphone-and-love-google-voice/ [...]

True, but they’ve got to support the thousands of other users who don’t have data plans, and therefore can’t send through the web or an app.

It would be nice to be able to send an sms through google voice with a certain security code, like this:

t 05321

where 05321 is your sms pin.

Right… and thats why you end up dumping the unfaithful girl to avoid STDs and marry the woman you can depend on…

Or you can marryt he unfaithful girl, get STDs and then to divorce her you have to give her half your money

Not true. I have a BB 8900 on TMO and i just open the google voice app and dial the number. It shows up to the other caller as my GV # not my cell #. It also doesnt call me, the call connects straight away.

With a Pre-Paid phone… no termination fee if he decided to switch but he would still have the same phone # he had before.

Let me fix that:

It would be nice to be able to send an sms through google voice with a certain security code, like this:

t 05321 text-message-body

where 05321 is your sms pin.

Sorry, this is the real post,

It would be nice to be able to send an sms through google voice with a certain security code, like this:

t 05321 5555551212 text-message-body

where 05321 is your sms pin and 5555551212 is the person you are texting.

That does take up minutes unless you Google Voice is one of your MyFaves.

[...] bad none of this stuff is available on the Android. I might actually use it. Oh well, at least I can watch via the video [...]

[...] bad none of this stuff is available on the Android. I might actually use it. Oh well, at least I can watch via the video [...]

[...] bad none of this stuff is available on the Android. I might actually use it. Oh well, at least I can watch via the video [...]

[...] Link [...]

[...] I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, [...]

[...] I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, [...]

[...] bad none of this stuff is available on the Android. I might actually use it. Oh well, at least I can watch via the video [...]

[...] I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, [...]

[...] I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, [...]

[...] I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, [...]

[...] I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, [...]

Gosh! how a simple article got into country priding and bashing. Everyone is happy with what they have, where they live. Why this rant? (Am referring to some of the previous comments)

I am in India. I do not think the charges are cheap here. Tell me one plan which gives me unlimited data, voice and texts. You have that option in US.

But yes, goign back to the article, iPhone 3GS is a wonderful phone, probably one of the best but only when jailbroken.

Great article Mike. If you have multiple numbers, Google voice is just right for you. We in India are still not invited for GV :(

[...] I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, [...]

[...] I never really liked the look of this thing, but I’m sure it’s a solid phone. Arrington seems to like it, [...]

[...] with arguably the most influence among technophiles, TechCrunch’s Mike Arrington who recently quit his iPhone cold turkey, opting for T-mobile’s MyTouch 3G.  That phone runs runs the open-source Android [...]

But, you can’t have iPhone without At&T, unless you pay for an unlocked device. But then, you can’t use all features on other networks.
Current equation is iPhone=At&T coverage, and it sucks.

Yep, copy&paste is a great feature; it is available in iPhone. GPS is a great feature; new apps are coming to iPhone.
Apple is really innovative in introducing age old ideas in its products and keeping innovation as their core strength!

Wait…, again, what is the definition of innovation? Shall we ask Apple? Who else can give an innovative definition?

[...] [...]

[...] was so great from the blogosphere that prominent blogger Michael Arrington of TechCrunch decided to give up his shiny new Apple device because he was fed up with having an [...]

For many people, it is not the question of having or not having an object/app. It is about having freedom to have it or not, and who has control over it. With Apple, you have less control. With Google, you have options.

People have something called ‘tolerance’. So people tolerated Apples behavior, but people have limits. With GV app fiasco, Apple crossed tolerance threshold of many people. Hence, this outrage.

How about using GV/SMS for your LOLs and other important stuff, and having a reliable back up mechanism for your super-impotant ROFL stuff.
GV is a free beta product. Give it sometime.

Take your number somewhere else. Unless you are a moron, you should be able to see warning signs much before Google stops supporting GV.

Enjoy it while it lasts! You are the only one who suffers with your conspiracy theories.

What an entertainment! It is only when I see posts like yours that I think I know something about technology.

1) We can’t live in your house.
2) That’s exactly what people are saying; myTouch beats iPhone hands down, and there is no comparison.

The point is you need to port your number every time you switch a carrier, without GV like virtual number, and pay for it.
More over, there are limitations on current number portability law, most of which can be avoided with GV. Take a look at http://www.fcc.gov/cib/consumerfacts/numbport.html.
My understanding is number porting can’t be one way street.

GV offers many other services as well, such as free SMS to most mobiles in the world.

With my Nokia e71, I can initiate a call on GV website to connect my phone with the number I want to call. This keeps the call free, as I have a a SIP client with a virtual phone number on e71. The provider I am using gives free phone number and free incoming calls. Calls initiated on GV website are considered incoming calls on both ends of the call and thus free, as long as both numbers are US/Canada numbers.
I guess, Android phone removes one hop of using GV website to initiate a call, and another not necessitating you to lift the call you initiated.
Call can be free,
– if you user your land line
– you added GV phone number to your my favs
– you have unlimited incoming calls (like on Verizon?)

I use Nokia e71 unlocked phone with pre-paid account. So, no switching cost. You may need to pay to break your contract and new phone, if you don’t want to jail break iPhone and send it to trash or e-bay.

You can, and that exactly what I have done. I could get a vanity phone number with GV, that reads something like 1-805-8MY-NAME. I can keep it for life, pay nothing, and look Geeky.

I can and do. I buy unlocked devices, probably pay less than you do, and use pre-paid services. One thing I miss though is MiFi. I expect that too changes, once number of people who realize the freedom increases (OR) technology/services like WiMax pick up.

[...] acceptable Google Voice app for the Pre  in the near future. Michael Arrington’s blog  ”How I Learned To Quit The iPhone And Love Google Voice” documents his move from the iPhone to an Android device to get access [...]

I believe evolution happens one step at a time., especially in the market space. There will be services, once there are enough people like you and me ask for such data plans.

I found this site to be very interesting. Not only did I get a review about cells phones but a history lesson as well?

My dilemma is as follows: I am a T-mobile customer. It is a good plan if you share minutes with family. We do not talk much on our cell phones. In fact 700 minutes is far too much for us but as I am locked in my choice for now it would be more expensive to reduce…. so be it.

I want to upgrade to a newer gadget.

My choices so far (but not set in stone) are between T-Mobile’s mytouch, iPhone and the HTC.

Basically I am interested in a device that will keep me organized calendar appointment reminders, phone book, multi-alarms and the fun stuff texting, IM, music and maybe even consider TV but not really necessary.

To put it all in a nut shell Phone, IPOD and Day runner. I would like to just carry one device instead of multiple devices.
I am still researching and in no hurry as this is only a Want and not really a need. I have noticed that when I ask this question it turns out to an online war, I do not wish that. I realize we all have opinions and different wants, needs and likes.

I would like to know specifically from the people out there in cyber space whom already own these cell phones.

If you do own them are you 120% satisfied and content? Or is there something else you would rather have?

I do not plan on leaving T-Mobile yet. I am not 120% satisfied with them as I cannot answer a call in an elevator (maybe this is better for the people around me?) but so far that’s about it.

As for price on our family plan (3 phones) it is the least expensive and seems to work out fine for us for the time being.
Can anyone point me to some kind of side by side comparison chart that lists all the bells and whistles these phones have and I probably will not use but might need someday?

NEED NOT REPLY IF:

1. You can not be civil and respectful.
2. Can not stay on topic.

What do you people think? (loaded question)

Thanks in advance and peace be with all of you
Angel

[...] Comcast adopts DNS hijacking, imposes irritating opt-out [...]

[...] device Mike switched to after rejecting the iPhone, and as I hear from him every time I see him, he loves it. I don’t hear anyone say that about the G1. Sure, there are plenty of people who use it, and [...]

[...] device Mike switched to after rejecting the iPhone, and as I hear from him every time I see him, he loves it. I don’t hear anyone say that about the G1. Sure, there are plenty of people who use it, and [...]

[...] device Mike switched to after rejecting the iPhone, and as I hear from him every time I see him, he loves it. I don’t hear anyone say that about the G1. Sure, there are plenty of people who use it, and [...]

[...] device Mike switched to after rejecting the iPhone, and as I hear from him every time I see him, he loves it. I don’t hear anyone say that about the G1. Sure, there are plenty of people who use it, and [...]

[...] Michael Arrington, finally had an epiphany and figured out that he could become a fully satisfied consumer by simply choosing to take his business elsewhere — from the AT&T Apple iPhone [...]

Not just AT&T playing rough with Google Voice:

I have noticed some terrible behavior on the part of my cell carrier, T-Mobile. It seems that they have tweaked their systems to prevent GoogleVoice calls appearing on the cell and now grab the call and hand it to their voicemail straight away, or maybe after 1 ring. I have tested this from various phone numbers (land lines) and compared to 3Jam and it is clear that T-Mobile is aggressively moving to make Google Voice unreliable and hard to use.

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] quitting the iPhone are just a stunt, think again. I’ve been using the TMobile myTouch for a couple of weeks now and haven’t looked back at the iPhone at all (background apps + full Google Voice Integration [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] quitting the iPhone are just a stunt, think again. I’ve been using the TMobile myTouch for a couple of weeks now and haven’t looked back at the iPhone at all (background apps + full Google Voice Integration [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder and CEO Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] to stop selling Word [8:20] Microsoft and Nokia Announces Office Coming to Symbian [10:42] Michael Arrington quits the iPhone [14:18] Google Voice to be retooled as Web app for iPhone [15:45] Apple again offers matt screen [...]

Most people actually care about how much their voice and data plan costs (except Arrington I guess). My understanding is carriers charge you MORE per month if you’re not on a two-year plan (not talking about the price of the phone, but the price of the service)– especially when it comes to data.

But you WOULD seemingly save on the $5/month text message charge AT&T abuses on you.

Service is certainly important, but Michael Arrington, how do you get the phone-upgrade/switch advantage without paying out the wazoo for monthly service? Not caring about paying a premium for good service is one thing, but the majority of humans (who read your blog) don’t like getting raped too badly on the monthlies.

So it’d be great if you explained how you avoid that?

Lastly, you haven’t really compared the browsing experience between iPhone. You mentioned 2/3rds the time for downloads, but how does the navigation compare when browsing? Pinching and movements on the iPhone are pretty awesome, I don’t remember the G1 being that great in terms of browser nav.

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] Microsoft to stop selling Word, [3] Microsoft and Nokia Announces Office Coming to Symbian, [4] Michael Arrington quits the iPhone, [5] Google Voice to be retooled as Web app for iPhone, [6] Apple again offers matt screen option [...]

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] ran into freshly-acquired FriendFeed cofounder Paul Buchheit at a brunch on Sunday. I pulled out my trusty Android myTouch and with his permission asked him a few questions about the sale to Facebook a week [...]

[...] Arrington ditched his iPhone in favor of T-Mobile and its myTouch 3G, which works with Google Voice, something the iPhone overlords rejected outright (a move which now has Apple in hot water with the Feds). [...]

[...] and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to phones. He’s an iPhone guy, I’m now and Android [...]

[...] and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to phones. He’s an iPhone guy, I’m now and Android [...]

[...] and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to phones. He’s an iPhone guy, I’m now an Android [...]

[...] and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to phones. He’s an iPhone guy, I’m now and Android [...]

[...] and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to phones. He’s an iPhone guy, I’m now and Android [...]

I like it, thus far, and I’ve not even got it fully set up. There’s supposedly an app/dialer for my BlackBerry, but I’ve not sorted that out, yet: for now, it does a dial-through using the google.com/voice/m web page. I’m also trying to find the setting that lets you manage allowable call windows for each call group (I’d really like to limit my customers and other job-related callers to only be able to call me +/- hour of my “office hours”).

[...] and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to phones. He’s an iPhone guy, I’m now and [...]

[...] vaya, empiezan a caer los poderosos (no negaré que tenía ganas de decir esta frase). Michael Arringtone cuenta en Techcrunch como aceptó pagar 175 dólares a AT&T con tal de poder desvincularse de sus servicios y portar [...]

[...] and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to phones. He’s an iPhone guy, I’m now an Android [...]

[...] intimately familiar with the Google Voice service and applications over the last few months. See here, here, here and here, for example. I haven’t used the Google Voice app for the iPhone [...]

[...] intimately familiar with the Google Voice service and applications over the last few months. See here, here, here and here, for example. I haven’t used the Google Voice app for the iPhone [...]

[...] intimately familiar with the Google Voice service and applications over the last few months. See here, here, here and here, for example. I haven’t used the Google Voice app for the iPhone [...]

[...] First of all, Michael Arrington at Tech Crunch had his own Umberto Eco on the road to Damascus moment recently and has been hitting Apple deservedly hard, much more so than anybody else in social/tech [...]

[...] intimately familiar with the Google Voice service and applications over the last few months. See here, here, here and here, for example. I haven’t used the Google Voice app for the iPhone [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that his [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that his [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks that once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s discovery that [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

[...] all, in recent weeks this once-fiercely bipartisan publication has thrust itself headlong into an orgy of Google adulation – a veritable golden shower of fanboyism – apparently triggered by Arrington’s [...]

I have both the iPhone 3GS and the My Touch (Google Ion phone handed out at google dev conference). There is NO comparison between the android phone and the iPhone. The 3GS is SO much faster. Michael is full of himself if he thinks otherwise. The android phone is a much better data centric device. It is NOT the best at actually making a call. Yes, Google Voice rocks on android. I love it. Wish the iPhone could integrate like that.

I have yet to find a single person that uses an android phone that likes the way it acts as a phone. Their “auto-locking” feature when on a call that allows them to avoid putting sensors in the camera to detect that it is near your head is horrible. If you are dialing into a conference call with it, it will almost always lock the phone just as you need to enter the next piece of information to get into a conference call. Having to hit the menu button to see things like the mute and hold buttons is just plain dumb. Hitting any of those buttons causes them to disappear. Because of the delay, you actually think you can hit the next button (like if you needed to unmute and take it off of speaker phone to respond to something on the call), but you will end up hanging up on the call because the next screen touch will actually hit the button you don’t see on the screen which is the end call button.

So if you want a fantastic data phone, get the My Touch (you’ll wish you had a keyboard though because of the poor touch capabilities of the My Touch). If you want a phone that is a great phone and can do data, get the iPhone. Oh, and if you want a bunch of good games to play on your phone, you really only have one choice… the iPhone. The Android Market pretty much stinks.

Oh, and you can do most of the google voice stuff on the iPhone through a web page. It is not as integrated, but it works just fine.

I really want to love my android phone, but it just isn’t as responsive and doesn’t have the core phone qualities I need.

Interesting post. Seems you traded one addiction for another. In any case you like so many other present and former iPhone users all want to blame at&t for the iPhone’s shortcomings. Since at&t has no role in the production of the iPhone or iPhone apps how can it be responsible for issues like the camer of video app performance? There are other smartphones that work in at&t’s network that don’t have 1/3 the issues as the iPhone.

I’m glad you think the myTouch is the answer to your iPhone problems. Keep in mind t-mobile’s 3G network is new and in limited locations. Best of luck. By the way…my Plam Pre is superior to the iPhone and your myTouch!

[...] controversy has been Apple’s apparent rejection of the Google Voice app. A number of Web personalities have taken a strong anti-Apple stance due to these practices and what they regard as Apple’s [...]

[...] Me too. I can’t believe they didn’t ask me to participate. I mean, I’m actually using the phone. And like Phil Jackson, I’m a huge Lakers fan. Ridiculous. I’m firing my [...]

[...] Me too. I can’t believe they didn’t ask me to participate. I mean, I’m actually using the phone. And like Phil Jackson, I’m a huge Lakers fan. [...]

[...] caller ID) instead of the phone number associated with the phone. When it works perfectly, as it does with Android phones, the underlying device phone number is more like an IP address for a website – it’s there but [...]

[...] caller ID) instead of the phone number associated with the phone. When it works perfectly, as it does with Android phones, the underlying device phone number is more like an IP address for a website – it’s there but [...]

[...] caller ID) instead of the phone number associated with the phone. When it works perfectly, as it does with Android phones, the underlying device phone number is more like an IP address for a website – it’s there but [...]

[...] caller ID) instead of the phone number associated with the phone. When it works perfectly, as it does with Android phones, the underlying device phone number is more like an IP address for a website – it’s there but [...]

[...] caller ID) instead of the phone number associated with the phone. When it works perfectly, as it does with Android phones, the underlying device phone number is more like an IP address for a website – it’s there [...]

[...] using Google Voice for all of my mobile calls and haven’t noticed the issue, but my calls are rarely more than a [...]

So you didn’t want to be beholden to the cell phone companies but now you will be beholden google?

If your service goes down who are you going to call at google to restore your account? How is customer support at google? In my experience, it does not exist.

How did you port your number? i can’t find any directions to do so? Did you just tell your provider to do it?

I am getting a myTouch instead of an iPhone cos you said so! (also cos everyone seems to want an iPhone, its nice to avoid the crowd)

[...] Arrington describes life after porting his cell phone number to Google Voice – which Google allowed him to do [...]

i made the switch to gv about a month ago, shortly after i received my invite. it has been awesome.

i can’t fight the smug feeling i get when i don’t have to pay for SMS!

i didn’t port my existing number, but have been sharing my new number and it hasn’t been too painful. most people who call you just ‘reply’ to the last time you called, so as soon as you start calling out with your GV number (with the GV app installed) it doesn’t take long for people to get used to calling you on your new number.

i do receive the random call that won’t connect (but it goes to voicemail), but it’s a new service and the g1 is a forerunner as well so bugs are expected. over all, i am extremely happy with GV.

[...] servicio de número de teléfono virtual de Google) de su tienda de aplicaciones para el iPhone. Michael Arrington, fundador de Techcrunch, anunció que se pasaba a Android (el sistema operativo para dispositivos móviles creado por Google) como consecuencia de la [...]

[...] Arrington (Techcrunch) explique pourquoi et comment il a délaissé son iPhone et AT&T au profit du dernier HTC Touch sous Android et démontre à quel point il aime Google Voice. Il [...]

I just have a quick question:

Let’s say for example that I have a phone and I’m using pre-paid T-Mobile minutes instead of a contract, will all my calls and SMS be free if I use google voice?

You – ehh you! go impale yourself in the

[...] the first to make this kind of jump, nor am I in any way important or influential (see: Michael Arrington, TechCrunch). But after switching phones I found myself repeatedly having to explain in painful detail exactly [...]

[...] that I didn’t catch her call. And then Google Voice, which I have recently adopted, took her voicemail and auto-transcribed it. And then things just got [...]

[...] that I didn’t catch her call. And then Google Voice, which I have recently adopted, took her voicemail and auto-transcribed it. And then things just got [...]

[...] that I didn’t catch her call. And then Google Voice, which I have recently adopted, took her voicemail and auto-transcribed it. And then things just got [...]

I have a Google Voice number and new service with T-Mobile. If I add my GV # to my Fav-5…why would I want/need to use the GV app? Doesn’t that make things more complicated?

How is it that you plan to never do business directly with a carrier again? Don’t you have to have cell phone service through T-Mobile in order to use your google voice account on their phone?

[...] after reading this Tech Crunch article, I became more and more intrigued. For starters, I’ve been wanting more control over my [...]

[...] need 60,000 of them — I just need a few that work and work well.  I think that despite a few bad pieces of press over the Google Voice incident (and other rejected apps), I really like their app store.  I like [...]

[...] Google Voice through is that they are scared out of their mind that Android and Google Voice will eat their iPhone lunch over the long term. Apple can’t win the fight over the long term, but they sure are willing [...]

To LOL:Yeah India has one of the the highest poor concentrations. Also there was a bloomberg article that was 23 pages long talking about how India has one of the poorest sewage systems. In other words you have a defication problem. Its so bad that the water is not drinkable and that 90% of the water drunk contains a percentage of feces because of how bad the defication problem there. I would never want to live in India I like the clean and safe streets of America and i am happy that i can drink the water straight from the faucet wihtout the risk of getting sick. Also i am also glad that i am not at risk at contracting malaria. If you read the center for disease control on India you have several epidemics going on. So please stick to your country and your cell phones and i will stick to my coutry with my awesome cell phones and choices that i can make. :)

[...] RIM (the closed off guys) the ability to create a smartphone that someone may actually want to use. I’ve switched to Android now based largely on deep integration with Google Voice. And that is despite the fact that Android [...]

[...] RIM (the closed off guys) the ability to create a smartphone that someone may actually want to use. I’ve switched to Android now based largely on deep integration with Google Voice. And that is despite the fact that Android [...]

[...] RIM (the closed off guys) the ability to create a smartphone that someone may actually want to use. I’ve switched to Android now based largely on deep integration with Google Voice. And that is despite the fact that Android [...]

Oh no, Tmobile sucks here in Sunnyvale. The valley fair store sold me a phone that didn’t even work inside Macy’s halfway out the mall, let alone my home.

Not surprisingly, AT&T service is ok. But then I live a couple of miles from the Mother iShip.

[...] and one of them, a newish iMac, is still a brick. So even though I’m a loyal Mac user (just not the iPhone any more), it still pisses me off to see them trashing Windows 7 in a new Mac v. PC commercial. Windows 7 [...]

[...] and one of them, a newish iMac, is still a brick. So even though I’m a loyal Mac user (just not the iPhone any more), it still pisses me off to see them trashing Windows 7 in a new Mac v. PC commercial. Windows 7 [...]

[...] and one of them, a newish iMac, is still a brick. So even though I’m a loyal Mac user (just not the iPhone any more), it still pisses me off to see them trashing Windows 7 in a new Mac v. PC commercial. Windows 7 [...]

[...] solved the problem by simply porting my mobile number away from AT&T over to Google Voice, a feature that Google says will be launched more broadly [...]

[...] is working on another option that may beat either of the two existing ones: the ability to port your existing number from a traditional carrier to Google Voice, turning any phone number into a full-blown Google Voice number. In the meantime, this new option [...]

[...] solved the problem by simply porting my mobile number away from AT&T over to Google Voice, a feature that Google says will be launched more broadly [...]

[...] you weren’t sure about switching to an Android phone in the near future, this might put you over the edge. Google Maps Navigation is an absolutely [...]

Did I miss the explanation where you detail how a Google Voice account holder initiates the procedure for porting an AT&T Mobility # to Google Voice? Because, I just looked at my GV account interface continues to state the the porting feature is not yet available.

So PLEASE, supply the details on how I go about ported my current mobile # to GV. I need this NOW!
—————–

Was there a response to this?

[...] que permite utilizar todas sus aplicaciones combinadas (maps, agenda, e-mail, etc.), A través del telefono móvil Android , las aplicaciones desarrolladas en la plataforma Android y el servicio Google Voice, pretende [...]

[...] you weren’t sure about switching to an Android phone in the near future, this might put you over the edge. Google Maps Navigation is an absolutely [...]

You can only switch to T-Mobile phones. You’re still a slave, you’ve just switched owners. Google Voice did nothing for you, and you’re an idiot for paying that early termination fee. In terms of functionality and power, iPhone still blows everything else out of the water. MobileMe doesn’t work well at all? More like YOU don’t work well at all; you have to be dumber than those slumdogs in India to have trouble with MobileMe syncing. Gmail is horrible with contacts. Do they still create new contacts for everyone you email? Yuck.

[...] there was Google Voice. And all was good, and not so good. But it showed that there is a better way to manage voicemails than to listen to 15 in a row just [...]

[...] you weren’t sure about switching to an Android phone in the near future, this might put you over the edge. Google Maps Navigation is an absolutely [...]

[...] a free loaner that I wasn’t ashamed to beg for, for a week now. I’ve assigned it to my Google Voice account and have used it and only it since it [...]

[...] a free loaner that I wasn’t ashamed to beg for, for a week now. I’ve assigned it to my Google Voice account and have used it and only it since it [...]

I thought that I will find latest information on technlogy on this page.

I’m from INDIA sorry to say not felling goog as an INDIAN after going through these messages.

Where eve. I found INDIAN in technology and in Science to get releated infornation they want their to show them as they are the GOD and the best in the World but they are not.

So don’t fight and try to show that India is the best and rest of the world is noughthing.

In this lonely planet earth we Humans have mind that we and no other place in the space or universe we had found intelegence/mind like we humans so I all I want to save humanity.

But if you want be to choose save Humans from any part of the world will be Europe/UK & America then INDIA and I know and studyed that most of the things in the world are discovery/innovation is been done by them not from the rest of the world.

Indians don’t mention your nationality and don’t introduce yourself if you will do something good nice thing for humanity or science people will automatically investigate.

Stop Jumping you are an Indian you are a crap that’s the thing people will automatically admire you.

If you dum Indians want to know about America/Europian UK what is their importance in us Humanity and for the earth life etc about science Watch videos on google video about HARP technlogy invistigate indeepth about Nokola Tesla – ecouple.com technlogy the upcomming wireless electricity.

We reach science

We are a thinking thing a (?) mark.

With a period (.)

My Regards All Humans Who Is With Science.

With Science we can and are making things those we thought were impossible made possible.

From Science To (.)

[...] had a nagging frustration in my otherwise perfect relationship with Google Voice. The service systematically replaces my friend’s phone numbers with their Google Voice [...]

[...] had a nagging frustration in my otherwise perfect relationship with Google Voice. The service systematically replaces my friend’s phone numbers with their Google Voice [...]

[...] it is violated by the company’s Voice product: I’ve had a nagging frustration in my otherwise perfect relationship with Google Voice. The service systematically replaces my friend’s phone numbers with their [...]

[...] can even issue phone numbers to users via Google Voice. In fact, I’ve already ported my mobile number to Google Voice, and Google has plans to roll out that feature more [...]

[...] can even issue phone numbers to users via Google Voice. In fact, I’ve already ported my mobile number to Google Voice, and Google has plans to roll out that feature more broadly. Google Voice can also handle the VoIP [...]

[...] can even issue phone numbers to users via Google Voice. In fact, I’ve already ported my mobile number to Google Voice, and Google has plans to roll out that feature more broadly. Google Voice can also handle the VoIP [...]

[...] the phone you had in 2006, and then tell me you don’t love Apple for the iPhone alone (yes, I’ve moved on, but the iPhone was the [...]

[...] not the number assigned to your handheld. This mobile app is so popular that it alone has caused some high-profile users to make the switch from the iPhone to [...]

[...] to the phone you had in 2006, and then tell me you don’t love Apple for the iPhone alone (yes, I’ve moved on, but the iPhone was the [...]

[...] There’s so much about this phone that excites me, mainly because I’m a geek who doesn’t typically get my hands on new technology until it’s cheap enough to be evaluated in terms of the number of meals I’ll have to skip to afford it. So for a mere 200 double cheeseburgers, I have finally gained entry into the smartphone club, much to the dismay of people who are actually hip. [...]

@lol There’s a lot of trannys in India and they smell like onions and bacon. and I do believe that your whole continent is pretty much homeless..sorry. One other thing, you guys suck at customer service, every time I call Xbox for servicing “you” have no idea what “you” are doing. and I mean “you” as a whole. It’s like you’re reading off a paper that tells you how to respond to a certain question a caller is asking.

I love IPhone infact.

OK help me out here please: I use an iPhone now, with AT&T, and pay the standard $80 a month or so for voice and unlimited data. Who would provide Voice and Data if I were to use Google Voice? Google? For free? Sounds like TMobile is involved somehow? Essentially, I am wondering just exactly what the author meant by “no carrier will ever have a stranglehold on me again”. The author has a phone provided free of charge by TMobile, but what does that have to do with the rest of us?

[...] First, Google Voice is deeply integrated with the phone, as it is with all Android phones. That means you can assign your Google Voice number to the phone, and use it to make all outbound calls and text messages. In my opinion this is the single biggest selling point for Android phones, and why I won’t switch away from the platform any time soon. [...]

[...] First, Google Voice is deeply integrated with the phone, as it is with all Android phones. That means you can assign your Google Voice number to the phone, and use it to make all outbound calls and text messages. In my opinion this is the single biggest selling point for Android phones, and why I won’t switch away from the platform any time soon. [...]

[...] One will carry a new version of Android that features 3D capabilities as well as Google Voice. Google Voice allows you to compose a text or email and find a contact just by speaking into the phone. This has [...]

[...] [...]

[...] First, Google Voice is deeply integrated with the phone, as it is with all Android phones. That means you can assign your Google Voice number to the phone, and use it to make all outbound calls and text messages. In my opinion this is the single biggest selling point for Android phones, and why I won’t switch away from the platform any time soon. [...]

[...] First, Google Voice is deeply integrated with the phone, as it is with all Android phones. That means you can assign your Google Voice number to the phone, and use it to make all outbound calls and text messages. In my opinion this is the single biggest selling point for Android phones, and why I won’t switch away from the platform any time soon. [...]

[...] Friday. If you’re a Google Voice user (I’m possibly the most rabid one around, I even ported my phone number to Google) you’ll probably make the change, [...]

The “released later this year” comment never came true :(

[...] If you’re a Google Voice user (I’m possibly the most rabid one around, I even ported my phone number to Google) you’ll probably make the change, [...]

[...] on Friday. If you’re a Google Voice user (I’m possibly the most rabid one around, I even ported my phone number to Google) you’ll probably make the change, [...]

Wont you always need a carrier? I mean that signal you use to actually send and receive calls and sms texts has to run over a cellular network, which Google does not own. So you have to have a contract with Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T or someone. Pre-paid is an option I guess, but who wants to recharge minutes all the time? So I feel your post is misleading.

I do however agree with taking the actual phone number and other features such as voicemail and texting and separating them from the delivery method, in this case the cellular network. That does give customers considerably more freedom. Just not the kind of freedom youre talking about.

Has there been any updates on porting numbers to Google Voice?

Michael,

In this post you mention that it would be available by the end of the year. Well obviously the end of the year passed. I know Google just put out the voice lite stuff, but is number portability still on the way? I figure you got to have some info on the plans still.

So do you have to have a contract with t-mobile in order to use the 3g network and things for the myTouch? For all phones that you use googlevoice with, you still have to have a contract with a provider right? It just allows you to use one single number on your land lines and cell phone?

[...] Friday. If you’re a Google Voice user (I’m possibly the most rabid one around, I even ported my phone number to Google) you’ll probably make the change, [...]

[...] is, of course, terrific news for Android users. I still believe Android phones, paired with Google Voice, are the closest thing to mobile nirvana to date. With tethering and wifi hotspot features, Apple [...]

[...] is, of course, terrific news for Android users. I still believe Android phones, paired with Google Voice, are the closest thing to mobile nirvana to date. With tethering and wifi hotspot features, Apple [...]

[...] May 14, 2010 by johnpaulphotography http://techcrunch.com/2009/08/09/how-i-learned-to-quit-the-iphone-and-love-google-voice/ [...]

[...] Google naturally believes the features of Voice, including the integration of Voice with email, free text messages and the ability to read voicemail in a transcript form are ideal for students and their lifestyle. Of course, this claim isn’t off base but I think those features are useful for anyone, which is why we find the service compelling overall. [...]

lolwat? It's not corny, it's a reference to Dr. Strangelove… which probably means it's a reference to a movie that was made 25 years before you were born, judging by your spelling and grammar.

[...] Google naturally believes the features of Voice, including the integration of Voice with email, free text messages and the ability to read voicemail in a transcript form are ideal for students and their lifestyle. Of course, this claim isn’t off base but I think those features are useful for anyone, which is why we find the service compelling overall. [...]

[...] Google naturally believes the features of Voice, including the integration of Voice with email, free text messages and the ability to read voicemail in a transcript form are ideal for students and their lifestyle. Of course, this claim isn’t off base but I think those features are useful for anyone, which is why we find the service compelling overall. [...]

[...] Google naturally believes the features of Voice, including the integration of Voice with email, free text messages and the ability to read voicemail in a transcript form are ideal for students and their lifestyle. Of course, this claim isn’t off base but I think those features are useful for anyone, which is why we find the service compelling overall. [...]

[...] Google naturally believes the features of Voice, including the integration of Voice with email, free text messages and the ability to read voicemail in a transcript form are ideal for students and their lifestyle. Of course, this claim isn’t off base but I think those features are useful for anyone, which is why we find the service compelling overall. [...]

Yes…Google has badly missed their mark of adding porting to their service by the end of 2009. Here we are, halfway through 2010, and still no porting. If I could get that right now, I would buy an EVO on Friday!