Recently, Apple and AT&T landed in some hot water with the FCC after the removal of several Google Voice compatible Apps and denying Google’s own voice App from entering the App Store. While many blamed AT&T, the carrier and Cupertino based company have filed their responses to the FCC and the result is rather shocking.

Many speculated that AT&T had some hand in Apple’s decision of removing Google Voice compatible Apps from the App Store due to a previous complaint from the carrier about SlingPlayer’s exorbitant data usage over the iPhone’s 3G connection. While AT&T has influenced Apple’s decision in the past it surprisingly had no hand in the removal of GV Mobile and denying Google’s official Voice App. The reason however, might insult you. In Apple’s response to the FCC’s inquiry about App Store policies and why Google Voice Apps were removed, the company had this to say:

Apple spent a lot of time and effort developing this distinct and innovative way to seamlessly deliver core functionality of the iPhone. For example, on an iPhone, the “Phone” icon that is always shown at the bottom of the Home Screen launches Apple’s mobile telephone application, providing access to Favorites, Recents, Contacts, a Keypad, and Visual Voicemail. The Google Voice application replaces Apple’s Visual Voicemail by routing calls through a separate Google Voice telephone number that stores any voicemail, preventing voicemail from being stored on the iPhone, i.e., disabling Apple’s Visual Voicemail.

Essentially, Apple is stating that Google’s official Voice App and similar Google Voice compatible Apps seem to replicate the functionality of the iPhone’s phone feature that it may confuse the end user. If these Apps do manage to make it back in to the App Store, they’ll be severely limited and have a drastically different user interface. Meanwhile, AT&T gave it’s view on the issue by denying it had any hand in Apple’s decision to remove Google Voice compatible Apps from the App Store.

“To that end, let me state unequivocally, AT&T had no role in any decision by Apple to not accept the Google Voice application for inclusion in the Apple App Store. AT&T was not asked about the matter by Apple at any time, nor did we offer any view one way or the other.”

Apple’s full FCC response
AT&T’s full FCC response
Google’s full FCC response

Via: iLounge