Apple and AT&T Friday are expected to tell the Federal Communications Commission why Google’s free voice application, called Google Voice, is banned from the Apple iPhone. Google is also filing comments. But Google may soon find itself on the hot seat as well, telecom and public policy analysts say. Why: Consumers who use Android, the Google-developed operating system for wireless devices, can’t use Skype, a leading Voice over Internet Protocol service. A pioneer in free Internet calling, Skype allows you to talk as long as you want without draining cellphone minutes. Android users get Skype Lite, a watered-down version of the original that routes calls over traditional phone networks — not the Internet. As a result, long-distance calls are still cheap or free, but cellphone minutes are gobbled up every time a Skype Lite call is made.
I am android user have the G1 and was under the impression that skype couldnt use wifi because of T-Mobil wouldnt allow the app to do so not because of any limitation in ANDROID
Probably true. But, the irony is that Google’s upset that Apple (won’t or can’t) put an app on their phone, that Google (won’t or can’t) put on its own phone.
There’s a significant difference between “won’t” and “can’t” though.
Which does nothing to lesson the irony.
T-Mobile blocks skype from using wifi or Mobile Web?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wifi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Web
Eeeevil!
🙂
Well, they are obviously not in the same league when it comes to relevance, and we have a promise on the table that next android will fully support VOIP. Also, this is really comparing apples to goggles, for both Apple’s hardware and software is tightly controlled by Apple, while this is not the case with Google. While Apple can and tries everything in its power to shut out competition (from threatening to sue Palm for similarities in the UI to shutting out GMobile at the request of AT&T) Google lets any hardware maker use their OS, with whatever deal they are willing to make with the carriers. Any similarities between the two companies at this point are superficial.